


The Wandering King

by Maxil_Gal



Series: Machines and Magic [2]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Alternate World, Attempted Murder, Implied/Referenced Torture, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:25:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5731030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maxil_Gal/pseuds/Maxil_Gal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after the Civil War ended in Verrum, a strange man enters in through the Northern border. He believes he can just slip into the south and disappear, but he might prove more important than he had ever thought he would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back to Verrum

It was a cold night on the wall. Mark’s hands were frozen to the hilt of his sword, and a waxing moon loomed above. Past his eyesight was a land of ruin and sickness. This was the border of Verrum, and those were the Outlands, home of the exiled and the dishonored. After the war, many, many lives had begun to occupy the swampy marshes and desert tundras of the north. But that was years ago, and a new age had been announced. Mark peered out into the night. He could see a figure limping towards him.

“Halt!” He leaned over slightly, trying to get a clear look at the man. He was covered head to toe in dark brown rags and carried only a pack and a staff. “I said halt! Who goes there.” As the man approached, it was clear he was blind. His staff was stuck out slightly at an angle and moved along the grooved ground. With every step, Mark began to make out a band around the stranger’s eyes, a deep purple cotton that looked like it had once been a brown or gray but dyed over the years. “Stranger! State your name and purpose so close to Verrum’s border!” The man  stopped and his head lifted up towards the voice. A hoarse croak returned an answer.

“Liam Xiver...I come to ask for entry into the land of Verrum.” Mark stood back and looked around. He was the only soldier on this section, and there were no captains he could ask for help or instruction.

“I cannot allow you passage, blind man. Unless you have papers, there is no entry to Verrum.”

“Would this...change you mind?” Liam Xiver had shuffled close to the border and held out a small leather bag. It was filled with silver and bronze coins. “Two silver pieces for a hand over this wall.” Mark watched him for second, thinking over the situation. All this man had was a stick, and he was a trained guard. Working quickly, Mark threw a ladder over the wall and directed the man to it. When he reached the top, Mark was awarded two silver coins. He lowered him down the other side, barely catching a glimpse of Xiver’s long blonde hair. A strange man...seeking asylum in Verrum. “Thank you…” He began strolling towards the road until his stick hit the dirt. Slowly, he made his way down the path until his shape was hidden by a line of trees and disappeared back into the night. Mark whistled and tucked his coins into his pocket. How much harm could one man do?

____________________________________________________________________________

Will leaned up against the tree, a fine line of frost outlining his shivering form. Slowly, his ragged hand pulled the strip of cloth from his eyes and he blinked, looking at the world in its blurry majesty.

“Still not better...oh dear.” He rubbed them, trying to make out the flux struck across his eyes. There were no marks and his skin felt normal where his fingers made contact. It was as if the magic had dyed his face this grossly purple color. His eyesight was fuzzy and faded to black on the edges. All he could make out was the line of trees and a thin strip of dirt road in front of him. He tried to think about better things, but the biting wind kept him aware of his surroundings. Will hunkered down in the hollow he had nested and tried to sleep, since day was the only time he could, because nights were too cold as they neared the end of Autumn. His thoughts slowly turned into dreams. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t have a nightmare...at least not at first.

Strife was young again, an ideological teenager. Looking down at his hands in wonder, he found himself wearing his old uniform. It was freshly pressed and smelled faintly of artificial lavender, decorated with meaningless bits and bobs needed for a prince’s suit. Beautiful women and men swirled around like snowflakes dancing in the wind. To his right stood a solemn looking man in a black uniform, his gray beard matching his cold, steely eyes almost perfectly. He reminded Strife of the old kings of Ages long gone and lost to time. This was his father. Beside him was a paler woman, but her cheeks were warm from smiling. She had long blonde hair and beautiful green eyes. His mother. He slowly moved towards her, his back stiff from lesson after lesson of etiquette and manners that his father forced him through. The woman turned to him and goodnaturedly patted his shoulder.

“Are you enjoying the ball, Liam?” His father next to her was busy with some diplomat or captain or whatever. 

“Of course, Mother.”

“Why don’t you go mingle with the other teenagers?”

Strife looked at the young cadets, giddy with excitement. He suddenly felt very melancholy. They looked young and free...and he was forced to stand up here like a porcelain doll in a toy store window. Ogled at and never to be played with. 

“I...Yes, Mother.” He slowly walked off the steps that led to the Emperor and Empress. Slowly, he began to mingle in the crowd. The group of cadets was made up of four boys in varying uniforms, three girls in uniforms, and three ladies in dresses. Another man was there, dressed in a very nice suit. They were all herded together, like sheep in a pen. But they were all very excited, being at a real ball in the capital of the Empire.

“Good evening.” He bowed to them, and they instantly turned to look at him. A few of them were taken aback by his sudden appearance and his finely tailored outfit. 

“Hey...what can we do for you?” A girl in a blue outfit stepped forward. She was plump with a face as round as a full moon. Her hair was cropped short, but a lace of pearls was scattered in her hair. Her brown eyes shined strangely in the light of the ballroom.

“Oh I...uhm...I just saw you gathering and I...welI…I was wondering...would you like to dance?” The words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them. One of the young ladies giggled behind her fan as the girl blushed deeply. 

“Why...It would be an honor, Mr…”

“Xiver...Liam Xiver.” He muttered quickly, his fingers tapping his leg awkwardly. She smiled and nodded, still blushing. A score began to play and he led her out onto the floor. They began waltzing, and soon Will found his sea legs again. His confident composure returned and they danced, a whorl of blue and red. Suddenly, the images faded and he was staring at a music box of two people dancing. One was a young man in a red uniform and the other was a larger girl in a blue dress. The sickly sweet music went on even after the box fell from his hands and shattered on the nonexistent floor. Flashes of light and gray fumes covered his vision. A strange woman in flowing robes the color of obsidian walked forward and put her long, bony fingers onto his face. 

_ A new child for my family...welcome William Xiver Strife. _

Strife woke up in a cold sweat, taking a few seconds for him to realize where he was. He took the rag in his hand and wrapped it back around his eyes, and taking his staff, he began trembling along the road, trying to leave the sight of the dark woman behind him in the hollow of the tree. And trying to leave behind the memory of when he was young and whole.


	2. The New Town

Kim watched as the first snow of the season fell onto the new town of Ashbourne. The houses still smelt of the forest and the cobblestone underfoot felt like it had just been hewn from the earth. Mothers beat rugs from windows and men stood together arguing about wheat prices. It seemed like things were normal again, or at least as normal as you can get in Verrum. Ever since the Empire disbanded, she noticed just how odd people could be.

“Oi! Captain Nano!” She turned at the familiar voice of Nilesy, who was bustling along in his forest green cape with a blue hem. All technomancers wore this recognizable cloak to show they can be approached for help. Kim’s own cape was hemmed in gold thread, a symbol of her captain-hood. “I was just out patrolling the West Bank, nothing major to report but I did talk to a girl walking in from Lakeside. Said that some goons out there are causing trouble.”

“Well go take a look, and take Lomadia with you! She could do with getting out of headquarters.”

“Will do ma’am.” Nilesy clicked his tongue and his large horse lumbered forward, its massive longhaired hooves clopping against the ground. The small man looked funny on his giant of a steed, but he could ride it well enough. Kim continued walking forward towards their base in Ashbourne. It was the hub of all Technomancer activity (other than Britesol but their squads are more inclined to tech) in Verrum. Kim made a mental note to go visit Britesol soon to make sure that the council knew the organization was doing well. 

Headquarters was busy, as usual, with the same bustle of maps and cloaked technomancers. Nilesy was talking to Lomadia while Dave stood in the corner debating with Martyn to where the patrols should look next. Zylus was butting in every so often, and the two took them to heart gladly. It felt good that some councilors had become technomancers. They had been accepted much quicker into the community because of their good deeds and both sides’ penance. 

“Panda!” Kim called upstairs as she clunked up. His cheerful face popped out, eyepatch stuck fixedly against his eye. “I’m leaving for Blackrock. I’ll be back in a day or two alright?”

“Aye, captain! Say hello to Zoey and Fiona for me.”

“Of course, Panda.” She smiled and fixed her cape in the mirror in her office. Her hands closed on the laser charging in the corner and slung it around her back. Her sword, still sharp from its recent blacksmith’s appointment, was sheathed beside her in her belt. Kim walked back down into the main room, which had seemed to be cleared out slightly. Duncan was standing beside the door talking to Zylus. His gold threaded cape matched his long strawberry blonde hair almost perfectly.

“Yes, but we should have left ten minutes ago!”

“I swear I saw Kim walk in. Oh, there she is!” Zylus waved as she walked down the steps. Duncan ran his hand through his hair, upset, annoyed, and worried.

“We’re going to be late, Kim! You know how he gets when we’re late.” Kim couldn’t but laugh at him. He blew a quick blast of air towards his bangs and moved them out of his face.

“Rythian isn’t going anywhere. C’mon.” He shuffled after her, shivering at the sudden blast of cold air hitting his face. He took his gloves and scarf from his pockets and put them on respectively. “Cold are we? I told you before we left the house.” Kim was seated proudly on her Kabarda, Echo.

“Blah blah. You sound like my mother.” Duncan lifted himself onto his horse, a strange mixed named Misty. “Oh, it’s so cold in the mountains,” he commented in a falsetto voice. He clicked his tongue and they started towards the Northern gates of town. Kim shook her head, smiling and trotted after him. “Hey Kim, don’t you think a Shetland would do a little better for you?” 

“Ohohohoh. Think you're funny, wise guy? Let’s see how you do against Echo and me then.” She kicked and she and the horse shot forward. Duncan raced after her down the forest road towards the mountain trail.

“You’re not going to beat me this time!”

“That’s what you always say!”


	3. Something Up His Sleeve

Strife had nothing to his name on the outside, but inside his pack was his most valuable belongings; a clockwork bird, a lifelong supply of glow batteries, two or three dusty books, and his journal. His right hand held his trust walking stick, and his left was shrouded by his ragged clothes.

This was the state in which a pair of thieves found him. Thinking of an easy target to rob, they approached him. Once they saw he was blind, they chuckled at the thought of such an easy target

“What are you doing out here, stranger?”

“Admiring the road with my feet, of course.” Strife faced the voice, knowing the other was moving towards his right side.

“Hmm. And what might you have in your pack?”

“Nothing you’d want to take…”

“Is that so? Get him.” The two drew their knives and came at him. With lightning quick reflexes, Strife struck the talker in the head. After a moment of swearing, the voice spoke again.

“That’s it. Gut ‘im out.” 

“I told you, you wouldn’t want my things  _ that _ badly.” Strife’s left hand emerged, covered in a dark iron gauntlet and charged with energy. The thieves stood back for a second, surprised and caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a weapon. Will took this chance and shot two blasts of blue light at them, causing them to run away into the thick forest brush. He launched a few more in their direction before hearing the sound of horses. Strife quickly put the gauntlet away and lied down in the ditch beside the road, and no sooner had he gotten in place then a troop of soldiers rode up next to him.

“Are you alright?” A woman’s voice called down to him. He returned with a shaky and fearful quiver of sound.

“Are those h-h-horrible men gone?”

“Yes, old man. Do you know which way they ran?” He heard feet touch the ground and lift him up. He clutched the arm tightly and stood.

“N-no. They ran away when they heard someone coming. I-I’m sorry I can’t be anymore help.” An assuring hand patted him on the back.

“That’s alright. We can escort you to town if you wish.”

“That won’t be necessary. I don’t need to waste your time. Just...if you could...p-point me in the direction of the nearest town…”

“Ok. Just keep following this path and at the first crossroads you see, take a left. It’ll take you to Lakeside.”

“Thank you…” He started down the path, back hunched over crookedly, his stick waving out in front of him on the road. As soon as he heard the horses gallop away, he stood straight again, rubbing his spine and trying to press the cricks out of them. It was getting dangerous on the roads...and since when did patrols go this far out? Strife shrugged and continued walking, forcing himself not to think about it. Even with hazardous routes, he was determined by some strange force. He could have given up a long time ago, when he was poor, lost, and helpless in the unforgiving Outlands, and nobody would have questioned it. After all, what did a former Emperor know about survival? But now, he was at the whips of his mysterious master, pushing him forward...somewhere.


	4. Back Home

Kim slowed Echo, her horse’s breath rising in large clouds from her nose. Her face was covered by a large wool scarf, provided by Zoey during the summer. It worked well at keeping her nose warm, but sometimes it felt like she was wearing an entire sheep on her face. Duncan had received a pair of glove-mittens, or glittens as Zoey preferred, instead of a scarf. Ever since the two women had started raising llamas in the high mountain altitude, it was ‘knitted-this’, ‘knitted-that’. It could drive a normal person crazy. Luckily, none of her friends were normal. Teep was often one of her mannequins, a silent statue who was dressed up head to toe in llama-wool apparel by the time Zoey was done.  

“I’ll beat you next time.” Duncan gasped as he finally pulled up next to her on Misty. Kim just laughed and they cantered toward the large dark mass emerging before them. Blackrock Stronghold...a behemoth made from the dark stone mined from Blackrock Mountain. The courtyard outside was dusted in snow from storms past, but it seemed that this past would soon become the present.

“It looks like a storm in brewing. Do you think it will get bad in the valley?” She pulled Echo over, staring at the dark storm clouds rolling from the North.

“Hmm...looks like it,” he muttered. Duncan dismounted his horse and lead her towards the newly constructed stable leading into the castle. Kim followed closely, teasing him slightly about lopsided goggles and long hair.

“You look like you’re becoming a teenager again. Trying to court the youths’ confidence, eh?”

“Haha. You should quit and become a comedian,” he replied dryly. His hand instinctively went to his head. “Is it really that bad?”

“Just a bit…” She put some hay in Echo’s pen before walking through the side door into the kitchen. Before she could take in the familiar surroundings, something jumped on her back.

“KIM!!!” 

“Agh...Zoey! I can’t…” They toppled over onto the ground and began laughing. “Haha. It’s good to see you too, Zoey. Where’s Rythian?”

“In the sitting room using his sermophiliam. He’s been talking to someone for ages and won’t tell us who it is.” She waved them in and directed them to take their snowy, and now wet, clothes to the kitchen furnace to dry. After, they crept towards the main room and tried to spy a bit on the elusive mage of Blackrock. He was seated, staring into the bowl and nodding. He had a dark look on his face.

“I don’t like this...we should just leave him alone.”

“Shush, Duncan!” Kim stared through the crack in the door and concentrated on what he was saying. 

“Bad...very bad...too much snow for the delivery...but I need it…” Kim leaned forward and the door buckled slightly. Rythian looked up and the trio shot away as he neared. They ducked into the nearest room and held their breath. They could hear him open the door.

“Zoey?” He walked out, his steps muffled by the carpet. “Zoey is that you? I told you not to sneak around…” He opened a few doors but ended up returning to his room.

“He said something about a delivery...I wonder what it is.”

“I don’t care. We need to stop doing that. One day he’ll catch us and I don’t want to get on his bad side…” Duncan fixed his goggles nervously. Kim just smirked and they walked back to the kitchen. They greeted Fiona with warm hugs and helped her wherever she needed it. After half an hour, Rythian came in.

“Zoey, were you spying on me earlier?”

“Maybe...Ok, I was. Who were you talking to?” She put the dried bowl back in the cabinet and ran over to him eagerly.

“I told you it’s a surprise!” He stated, obviously exasperated. 

“Well, come on you two. It’s time to eat.” Fiona ushered them into the dining room, where a magnificent feast was placed on the long oak table. Only about a fifth of the entire table was filled with food, and 6 chairs were placed at the end. 

“Amazing, like always Fiona.” Duncan sat next to Kim, licking his lips hungrily. 

“I hope so, I’ve been working all day on it.”

“Come on, I’m starving!”


	5. The Mother

Strife was starving. He hadn’t eaten in almost three days and his stomach tied up in knots every time he thought about real food...like that roasted chicken he had that one Christmas...or the jellies smeared onto sweet breads...or… _ Stop, you’re just hurting yourself more. _ Strife wrapped himself even more tightly in his cocoon of rags to fight against the raging snowstorm outside his trunk hollow. This was hell, but he admitted he slightly deserved it after all he’d done. All of it from his stupid boyish pride, trying to make an old man proud who never gave him the light of day. 

“Strife…” He looked up and saw a woman standing there, dressed in a long, black lace dress. She had a veil shielding her face...in fact, every part of her body was covered in long sheaths of black linen and lace. “You are William Strife.”

He sighed hunkered down even more, growling at her silhouette over the cold, winter wind.

“So you’ve found me. Why don’t you just leave me in peace, woman?”

“I still have need of you, William Xiver Strife…” He froze when she said his name, his  _full _ name. She was so familiar...like a face from a dream. He emerged from his rabbit hole and stared at the woman. She was tall, painfully skinny, with the posture of a queen. Strife stood, feet ice cold in the snow, and looked at her more closely. His blurred vision seemed clearer around her. That, or he already knew what she looked like. “You must go to Ashbourne and find your sister and brother. They will vouch for you to the one I cannot see.”

“Stop with the riddles! Who are you...what siblings...I’m an only child.” He stumbled forward, trying to follow her as she began to drift away into the blinding white. “Stop! Come back!” He ran after her with his bandage tied loosely around his forehead. It was too late and she disappeared into the night. Strife kept running. After a few minutes, he stopped and took in his surroundings. He was back on the main road...and he could hear someone coming. A light emerged from the snow and Strife had just the right amount of time to duck out of the way of the wagon moving through. He yanked his fold over his eyes and turned to the transport that had stopped a few feet from where he dove into a snowbank.

“Hey! Are you ok?”

“Ok enough. Why don’t you watch out where you’re going next time…” Strife pulled himself off the ground and dusted himself off. A reassuring hand patted his shoulder.

“Sorry, friend. It’s hard to see the road when you can’t even see your own hand. Oh god you’re ice cold...where are you heading, stranger?”

“La…Lakeside...then to Ashbourne.” The man laughed heartily.

“Really? So are we! Want to hitch a ride with us?”

“Who’s…’us’...?” 

“Oh, I’m Tom, Tom Sparkles. And uh, up there is Parv. And Leo and Kogie...We’re uh...We’re traveling musicians.” Strife couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

“Yeah, I’ll come along.” They helped his shivering body into the wagon, which was surprisingly warm. He felt someone’s cloak wrap around him. His packed was tossed to his side haphazardly and he was seated across from the man who gave him the extra cloak.

“There. What’s your name, then?”

“L...Will.” He didn’t know why he gave them his real name. It just felt better than lying to another person.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Parv. Well, full name is Alex Parvis but none of us deal with full names since nicknames are so much easier. Is Will a nickname or your name name?” Will growled to himself at the incessant chattering of this Parv. Sparkles quickly told him it was best if he shut up around Will. The men then began talking about some heaven-piercing giga drill. Strife couldn’t help but listen in as one grabbed a guitar and began strumming.

“I’ve been underground…”

“Oh have you Sparkles?”

“Locked in the silence…Don’t look at me like that, Parv!” The men laughed heartily and they quieted down as the man strummed a light tune on the instrument. It kept the wind at bay and made the enclosed space a little bit more tolerable. Strife leaned against a box and couldn’t help but close his eyes as the strings sent him to sleep.

____________________________________________________________________________

The wagon shivered to a stop and Strife opened his eyes. The wind was quieter now as he felt the group moving out. A hand shook him gently.

“Hey, Will. Come on, we reached a tavern.” It was Parv speaking, and he took the extra layer off him and they wandered out into the snow. Strife’s stick hit a wall, which he followed until reaching a wooden door. Parv opened it and they walked into a hot, loud building. People were shouting and Strife could hear the clattering of metal glasses everywhere he turned. The band of men ushered him through the crowd and he fell back against a wall. “Wait here. We need to talk to the barkeep...are you hungry?”

“Very…” Strife muttered, laying his staff across his lap. 

“Ok, I’ll be right back…” Will waited...and waited… Half an hour later, Parv tapped his shoulder and put a package in his lap. “They had some extra bread and cheese. We’re going to be talk to the tavern owner for a few minutes, ok?” He patted Strife’s shoulder and left him in the corner. Will sighed and put the package in his backpack. Even though he was really hungry, he wanted to wait until he was outside of town. Strife ripped a page from his only journal and scrawled some poorly written words down. He left the page in his spot and hustled out of the bar, back into the cold winter world. The sun was coming over the horizon...and he felt the day become bright with every quickened step. The stones turned to dirt and his lungs ached from the chilled air. 

He imagined the group looking around worriedly for him… but at the same time shrugging and returning to their business. He knew he couldn’t become attached. It wasn’t smart...Strife walked a little quicker. The sooner he did what the strange woman wanted, the sooner everyone could just leave him to his solitude.

_ So many strange strings conducting my fate...And yet...Fate does not suit me. _


	6. The Reunion

“Leave? I thought you were staying for the weekend…” Zoey was running after Kim, who was bustling around, packing her things.

“Something’s come up. I have to leave immediately.” Kim shoved her familiar red and gold dress back into her pack. “I wouldn’t do this to you if it wasn’t important.”

“But you won’t even tell me what it is! You won’t tell Duncan either.”

“Because it’s personal, Zoey.” She wrestled her riding boots onto her feet, lacing them up sloppily.

“Kim?! Kim!” Duncan rushed in, his hands catching the frame of the doorway as he came in. “Fiona said you were packing...where are you going?”

“I’m returning to town, Dunc. And don’t ask me why, because I can’t tell you until you return.” She stood and strode out of the room and down the hall. They followed her, sputtering something about not understanding what she was doing. “Listen, you may think I’m crazy, but I have to do this. You’ll understand later.” Kim mounted Echo and walked towards the stable doors. 

“Kim, this is crazy. The storm is still raging out there and you promised us to take time off.” He stood by the gates, staring her in the eyes. One was turning a greyish blue and stuck out against the purple color raging on her face.

“I’m sorry, Duncan. I have to do this.” She clicked her tongue and the pair raced into the blizzard, disappearing into the white sheet covering the land. He watched sadly as he closed the door.

“Why would she just pack up and leave like that?”

____________________________________________________________________________

Strife brushed the snow off of the sign. It was broken off its post and charred badly, but in the charcoaled wood, Strife read the letters  _ W...lco...to...F..r...s...t...en...So, this is where they rebuilt...on the ashes of the old town...fitting name for it then. _ Strife covered it back up and walked over the cobble ladened bridge into Ashbourne. It was filled with bustling noise, of children running around and men bickering about prices. Someone smacked a rug high above from a window. Strife couldn’t help but feel guilty. The feeling quickly went away when he bumped into a squat, pudgy man.

“Oi! Watch where you’re going, all right?” Strife stumbled backwards. The plump man poked him roughly in the stomach. “You almost ran over my wares, y’hear?”

“I can’t see very well…”

“Ya blind?” Strife rolled his eyes gently and motioned to the rag around them.

“Obviously.”

“Why didn’t ya say then? What brings ya to Ashbourne?”

“Nothing. Just wandering around, begging for spare change where I can.” Strife rubbed the spot that he had been jabbed in. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can warm up, do you?”

“Well, the Market is very open and crowded. Ya might get trampled. I think the best place for ya is Brew Alley. The heat from the tavern kitchens should keep ya warm. Follow the road for three houses and then take a left. You’ll hit it there.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“No need for sir, just call me Honeydew. Simon Honeydew.” Strife nodded and crossed the street, thanking Honeydew for his assistance. He dragged his hand across three doorways and turned into a thin alleyway. Strife took a few steps before slumping against the brick wall beside him. He felt like his muscles were going to split apart, and his bones felt chipped and weak. He had been walking for so long...maybe he could finally rest. Apparently the Universe had other plans, because someone walked towards him and nudged his foot. He tried to ignore them but they continued. He growled gently, but the person kept nudging.

“What do you want…” He sat up and pulled his foot away. The person sat opposite of him. A small voice spoke to him.

“Are you blind?”

“Yes.”

“How can you know where you were walking?”

“I use my staff. Listen, don’t you have some...kid stuff to do?”

“No...none of the other kids want to play with me.” Strife pulled his cloak tightly around his thin form. Even with the warm fumes of the tavern kitchen, he was still cold. And even hungrier.

“Well don’t whine about it. Go play by yourself then.” He yanked his hood lower, trying to block out the noise going on beside them. The child shifted slightly.

“I don’t like being alone…”

“Well you should get used to it. Even if you try to surround yourself in people, you’ll be alone sometimes.” They stayed still a few moments before speaking again.

“Are you alone?”

“Yes...I’ve been alone for a very long time.” 

“What happened?”

“Well, that’s a long story. A good one, but very long.”

“Were you with the Empire?”

“Yes...I was an engineer. After the Battle of Blackrock I disappeared to the Outlands. Then I came back here.” Strife rubbed his head gently. A voice called out someone’s name.

“Oh...I have to go. Goodbye.” They stood and began skipping away. Strife sighed and turned back to sleep. He remembered the food in his pack and unwrapped it. He was willing to eat anything, and the bread and cheese was well received. He tore into it greedily. It was stale and the cheese had a speck of blue on it. Strife cut that piece off and continued with his feast. As he began to wrap up some for later, a large shadow fell over his body. He turned towards it, and a voice spoke to him.

“Get up, and come with me.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Kim had found him in an alley, eating some stale bread and slightly moldy cheese. Even with ragged long hair and a strip of brown cloth around his eyes, he was still there. His posture was rigid and proud, and his hands were strangely clean. But he was emaciated and covered in worn out rags. When she ordered him up, he merely looked over at her while putting his pack on his back.

“If you want to live, get up,” she hissed at him. He stood, quietly, his mouth tightening into a thin line. Kim pulled him onto Echo. “Hold on…”

“Who are you? What do you want with me?” He forced his voice into the hoarse, shaky one.

“You don’t need to hold that act with me, Will.” Kim was flying down the road, away from town. Strife clutched her like he was going to die.

“Alright, you found me. What do you want.” Kim urged Echo faster. They turned onto the mountain trail and began to ascend into the frigid temperatures of Blackrock Mountain.

“I don’t want anything. I’m saving your life.” She furrowed her brow as Echo plunged forward, her black body striking and then fading from snow to rock. “If those villagers had found out who you were, you’d be dead.”

“No one knows wh-wh-who I am! I’m just a legend people tell their kids.” Strife’s head rolled back slightly as Echo landed squarely onto a platform.

“Don’t be so egotistical. I’d hardly call you a legend. Besides, you don’t give your councilors enough credit.”

“Councilors? In Ashbourne? Why on Earth would they be there?!” Kim slowed Echo down and turned to look at the town. No one was following them...no one must have noticed him.

“It’s a long story…” she muttered as they plodded towards Blackrock Stronghold. She thought about how different Rythian’s castle looked then when she first saw it. The little stable plopped onto the side. Ice flowers layered in boxes below some windows and the whole place looked a lot...brighter. Kim stopped Echo before the stable and dismounted. Will slipped off after her. His hair was sticking in odd places and his face was a strange gray color.  “Not a fan of horses, eh?” Strife glared at the ground and shuffled away from the beast.

“I haven’t ridden a horse in a long time...it takes some getting used to.” Kim smiled and led him into the stable. Misty was still there, as were Buttercup and Tim, the FiZone’s oxen. “Where are we...where have you brought me.” Kim took his coat collar and pulled him inside. Zoey was standing next to Fiona, laughing and throwing bubbles at her partner. They turned to the opened door.

“Kim! You came back!” Zoey stopped when she saw the other person. “Wh-who is he?” Fiona took her hand.

“I found him in the streets...I couldn’t leave him to the villagers.”

“Kim, this is bad. This is very, very bad. He can’t stay here.”

“I’m right here you know…” No one paid attention to him as they continued in hushed whispers. Strife sighed and moved towards the oven letting off a warm heat. 

“Listen, we can’t throw him to the people. There’s been a serious rise in tensions. He could be the tinder that burns down the house.” Fiona rubbed her face gently. “I know it sounds crazy, but you have to trust me. Even among the technomancers, people are taking sides again. If they found out he was back in Verrum...we could see the Empire return.”

“If we let him stay, it definitely will! How do you know he hasn’t been trying to rebuild his army?”

“I can assure you, I am not. If I was, you wouldn’t see me wearing these.” Strife had shed his drenched cloak and over coverings, revealing a tattered red work uniform, dirty and stained. The letters and numbers on his ID were faded and almost completely gone. He laid the rags out on a chair by the stove and rubbed his aching feet. “I was a boy trying to support a fool’s conquest. You can’t understand how sorry I feel.” Fiona started muttering something under her breath angrily at the last remark. Zoey scratched her head and suddenly stood straight.

“Rythian...if Rythian finds him here...Oh god. I just finished cleaning the kitchen too.”

“We just need to hide him until you can calm him down,” Kim suggested. Fiona peaked out into the hallway. It was empty.

“Zoey, you and Kim sneak him up to Duncan’s room. Explain the situation as quickly as possible why I’ll try and keep him contained.”

“No, I’ll talk to him. And Teep too.” Kim finally noticed the man sitting in the corner. His iguana was sat on his leg as he whittled a piece of wood. He stood, brushing the shavings off his lap and the lizard took his familiar place on his shoulder. Teep nodded and offered his hand to Zoey, which she gratefully took. Fiona kissed her gently on the cheek and watched as the pair slowly moved out the double decker doors. Kim took Strife’s arm and pulled him toward the side door, Fiona making up the rear of the train. 

“They’ll be alright, right?” Kim looked back at her as they wound up the stairs towards their tower. “Rythian wouldn’t hurt them...would he?” Fiona chuckled nervously, pushing the grumbling man to make him move faster.

“Of course not...I hope.”


	7. Day to Day

Zoey dug her nails deeply into the skin on her palms. Teep patted her back, reassuring and strong like waves on a rocky shore. She smiled at him. For a mute, he could sure speak some strong words. Her knuckles rapped against the door, waiting for Rythian’s response. When it didn’t break out immediately, she tried again. This time, he called them in.

“Zoey? What is it?” His fingers scratched the dark magenta marks the stretched over his mouth. They clawed their way onto the bridge of his nose and stopped, as if they were content with the ground they scarred. He would only unveil them to her and Teep. Not even Lomadia knew what was under his scarf. As she approached, she noticed him rub at them, scraping the jagged lines of purple.

“Don’t pick at it, Rythian. You’ll make it worse.”

“It’s not chicken pox, Zoey.” He bit his lip and turned back to the papers on his deck. “I was just doing some preparations for the 25th. I might have to ask you all to help me this year. Of course that would include having to tell Kim and Lalna...but that shouldn’t be much of a problem…”

“You know how Kim left for town?” Rythian looked up and raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes? What about it?” Zoey sat across from and scratched her hair.

“Uhm...don’t freak out? You have to promise not to freak out, ok?”

“What? Zoey just tell me!” He chuckled, but she could tell he was anxious from the nervous hand rubbing the back of his head.

“She found Strife.” His hand froze and he stared at her for a few moments. The only sound was from the fire and Teep walking over to the pair. “And...and she brought him back to the castle.” Rythian stood, slowly, painfully, eyes shut in pulsing anger. He took a deep breath and brought both of his fists roughly onto the table. They hit it so hard Zoey swore that it cracked slightly.

“HE’S IN MY CASTLE!? WHERE IS HE? I’M GOING TO...GAH!” He clutched the foot he had kicked his chair with. Teep sat him back down gently and Zoey paced the room.

“Come on Rythian, you promised me not to freak out.”

“Wha, WHAT?! Zoey, there is a difference to being asked not to freak about normal things, AND THEN BEING ASKED NOT TO FREAK OUT WHEN YOU’RE TOLD THAT YOUR ARCH NEMESIS IS IN YOUR HOME. What is he doing in Verrum anyway?! I thought we banished him to the Outlands and...god... _ din djävul. _ ” He rubbed his temple. “Why is he here.”

“Kim thinks he’s changed and wants to protect him. And...he’s not technically breaking the Mechanica et Magica Treaty, because Blackrock Mountain is considered a neutral territory.” Rythian stared at her, confusion and disbelief drained on his face. “So...he’s not...in Verrum…exactly.”

“I gathered...you know what, where is he? I want to talk to the little devil himself.” The pair rushed after him as he pushed the large double doors open. They raced up the main hallway and the large stairway. “Where have you hidden him?”

“Listen, Rythian. I know you’re going to freak out. You have to promise not to lash out at him.”

“Don’t talk to me right now Zoey! I’m going to end what he started.”

“Well if you want me, turn around.” Rythian swished around dramatically and glared at the figure at the end of the hallway. Fiona was trying to pull him back into the room, but quickly stopped when Rythian turned. Kim and Duncan followed her out into the corridor as the pair stared themselves down. 

“Strife…”

“Rythian.” He rubbed the iron gauntlet on his arm. “You don’t have to worry about this. It doesn’t have any energy.” He slid it off his arm and placed it gently on the ground. Rythian was hovering, something he did when he got angry and dramatic. 

“ _ What...are you doing...in my house _ ?” His words were harsh like the blizzard tearing at the walls outside. Strife crossed his arms and snorted.

“Why not ask Nano? She seems to be the one with all the smart ideas.” 

“You kill my people, take our land, and now you’ve come to my home with... _ sass _ ?” Rythian was practically on fire on this point, with a frantic Zoey letting out ‘oh dear’ after ‘oh crikey’ and so on. He floated towards Will, and the levitation made him look even taller and more menacing. Strife didn’t seem worried.

“I think I’m entitled to my sarcasm. It is the only thing keeping me alive, it seems.” He ran his fingers through his hair, carefully missing the bandage around his eyes. Kim finally stepped forward to try and explain the situation.

“Rythian, I brought him. Listen, I know what you’re going to say and...ok y-you probably have some good points, but we can’t throw him out. He’ll die, Rythian...hasn’t enough blood been shed?” Strife clenched his teeth angrily, but said nothing. Rythian stared at them both, his violet eyes burning and Kim thought he was going to blast them into millions of pieces. Then he turned, his tall, slim form dropping back onto the ground.

“If he must stay, he will stay...but he can never leave.” The group watched him slide down to the stairwell and disappear into the first floor.

“Well...that went well.” They all turned and looked at Strife, who was picking his gauntlet back up. He dusted it off very gently and cradled it under his arm, not turning to face the congregation. Kim wrung her hands tightly together.

“So uh...I guess you’re staying?” Zoey raised her eyebrow and quirked her mouth to the side.

“Yeah as a prisoner…” 

“Rythian always says that. If he warms up to you, you’ll be fine,” Kim stated, in a false sense of hope. Will snorted and straightened his ragged uniform. 

“I don’t want him to warm up to me. Hopefully I can bug him enough to kill me before it does.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Kim opened the door and Strife marched in, a stack of clothes in his hands. He placed them down on the bed, gently, and with great care as to not wrinkle them. 

“Would you mind doing something for me,” he asked, quietly. Kim turned, very suddenly. “Would you give me a haircut?”

“Uhm...alright. You have a bathroom right here.” She led him in and search for some scissors in the boutique he had in there. It was dusty from disuse, and the porcelain lining the mirror was chipped in a few places. “Here we go. Now, I’m not very good at this kind of stuff. what am I doing!? Fiona used to be a hairdresser. Wait right here.” Strife sputtered something along the lines of ‘no’, but Kim was already gone. He was in a strangely lit bathroom, probably facing a mirror. He ventured a little closer and pulled the rag from his eyes. He was almost glad he was partially blind, because the pixelated, blurry faced version of himself had a dark streak of purple gunk flung across his face. A reminder of when he was last here...and a branding. He was finally what he deserved to be...an outsider. Strife felt his lungs weaken as he choked back tears. 

“Men don-...Men don’t...Men don’t cry…” He repeated the saying the himself over and over. His father had hammered the phrase into his head, so long that the pain he felt would be for nothing. He was so busy totally not crying he didn’t hear the door open and a short-haired girl walk in.

“Strife? Are you alright?” He scrambled to wrap his eyes again, but the damage had been done. “Your flux...it hasn’t gone away has it?” 

“Obviously not...don’t tell anyone. I don’t want them knowing.”

“Why…”

“You know why! I can never show my face to a self-respecting mech again! I’ve become an alien in my own country! I used to be a stupid idiot who thought he knew everything, but life has taught me one thing at least…” He slammed his fist down roughly, but immediately jerked back in pain. “Ow! Goddamnit!” The pair of scissors skittered across the counter and he gingerly nursed his injured hand. “Life’s taught me that the world is never fair...and you might as well get what you can before it sucks it away again.” Fiona opened a drawer and dragged out a long strip of bandage. She began to wrap his hand up and he dragged a long breath between his teeth. 

“Hold still.” She muttered something under her breath and look back at Strife. “Come on, you need a lot more than a haircut. We can run you a bath and actually get you clean.

“I can take care of myself, you know!” He moved away from Fiona’s fingers, trying to untie his fold. “Stop that!”

“Fine, you don’t want my help, I’ll just leave.” She stood and walked out, leaving Strife alone once again. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Duncan rubbed his nose and watched the ceiling. It was painted with excruciating detail of constellations, copied straight from an old text he had dug up in the castle library. Fiona said it was from another world...another dimension...And Duncan wished he could see their starlight for real. It would help him not think about his projects, and his secrets. Kim would never approve, and the mere though of science in his castle made Rythian go into a sputtering rage. Duncan stepped onto the cold, wooden floorboards of his room and moved towards what was supposed to be a large en suite bathroom. He had instead used the available plumbing and heating to create a laboratory. Small, but still something. He had been researching magical entities for over 6 months now...and still nothing. He knew it was the concentration of energy, and hell...he even knew some magic as well. He just couldn’t understand how it worked. Where was all of it generated? How was it made?

It puzzled him to no end, so he turned his thoughts elsewhere. His recent tests had found the world to be increasingly unstable, and it was only time until it would fall apart. There were constant earthquakes across the sea, with more and more volcanic activity. Sentries on the border had sworn to seeing entire trees pulled up by blizzards and eastern crops stripped to pieces in hail storms. Maybe with Strife...just maybe…

He quickly sat down at the desk and started scribbling madly at a set of papers. He folded up the stack of letters and went with the bundle towards the sitting room to call a messenger. They had work to do.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Crikey...this is a bit of mess.” Zoey looked around the kitchen. It was covered in flour and batter with a few places stained with egg yolk and shells. Teep was offering a very tiny dollop of icing to his lizard from his own floured hand while Kim peeked through her fingers. It  _ was _ a mess, to be fair. “Uhm...Rythian?” The mage popped up from behind the counter and smiled at Zoey. He was drowning snow white powder, his once black outfit know making him the color of an overcooked powdered donut.

“Hey, Zoey. Uhm...it looks worse than it is...ok? I’m sorry I lost my temper and I’m trying to make it up to you.” He was hold a whisk in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. “Teep was helping me.” The man nodded, pointing at the apron he was wearing. It said ‘Kiss the Cook’ in bright pink lettering. A little dinosaur was stitched on one of the corners with a little chef’s hat. He seemed very proud of the small mountain of dough he had created.

“R-r-rythian...Why is the kitchen destroyed?” Duncan opened the side door and stared at the mess. Rythian chuckled and rubbed his hair, leaving it even more white than before. 

“We might have gotten a little excited.”

“Excited? Rythian the room likes its been attacked by a pastry monster.”

“Ok...zealous then.” He shimmied away from a piece of dough as it started screaming. “Gah! Down!” He smacked it heartily with his fearsome combination of whisk and screwdriver. When it finally retreated into a stack of bowls, Rythian lowered his weapons and muttered under his breath. “I might have used magic to help me.” Zoey groaned into her hands.

He walked over and patted her shoulder awkwardly. His hand left a white print on her gray-rainbow outfit where the motion was done. Teep also moved, putting his lizard on her shoulder. It gurgled and she nuzzled it slightly. 

“Look, you can help too! Here, we need a real baker in the kitchen.” He handed her an apron and she looked up at it. The lizard gurgled again, almost excited by another person joining their adventure.

“Ok. Teep! Get a rolling pin. Rythian, I need milk and flour. Kim!” She pointed at the small woman vehemently. She stepped back, waving her hands in front of her.

“Nuh uh. No way. I’m not fighting a weird pastry creature.” 

“Kim…” Duncan interjected tepidly.

“Nope...nothing you say is gonna change my mind.”

“It’s on your back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few "day-to-day" things that happened while Strife was there...Not much on this part's plot but I enjoyed writing it.


	8. The Third Room on the Third Floor

Strife was washing his face roughly with warm, soapy water when Fiona returned. He couldn’t help but hide his face.

“I thought you weren’t going to help me.”

“I’m not. I gotta make sure you don’t go wandering around the castle...or kill yourself on the stairwell.” She leaned back in her chair, watching him for some kind of retort or backlash. For once, he didn’t.

“Fine...whatever.” His hand wandered through the drawers carefully, memorizing the contents inside them.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to find bandages.” Fiona leaned over and tossed him the roll. It hit him squarely in his face. “OW! You hit me in the face!” She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yeah...I forgot you were blind.”

“You hit me in the face!” His hand grasped the roll and began undoing a long piece of the cloth. The old cover was tossed on the floor in the corner, forgotten by Strife. Fiona moved over to it and reached out to pick it up. “Don’t touch it,” Strife snapped suddenly. Her hand retracted as he turned to face her. “It’s not stable,” he mumbled after a moment of silence. His hands picked it up and moved it towards a bin in the corner. Fiona noticed that they were stained purple slightly as well. The rag was dropped into the basket and he resumed his work, until the bandage, crisply white, like eggshells, covered his eyes comfortably.

“We might be able to help you regain your sight.”

“How? I’ve gone over every possibility.” Fiona handed him the scissors and he took them gently. “Every idea, every machine, and not even I know how to fix it.”

“There’s magic…” His hand stopped right before he snipped a long strand of hair. He remained frozen for a few seconds before handing her the scissors. She moved his head over gently and began to cutting. Before long, he had cropped blonde hair sticking out in every direction. A quick combing tamed it, and Strife was slightly surprised at the feeling of having short hair again. “Better?”

“Magic...I can’t...Magic did this to me.”

“And it’s only logical that Magic can fix it.” Fiona stood and swept away the long tendrils she had chopped off into the bin. Strife was still running his hand through his hair. “Think about it.” She left him sitting on the bathroom floor. He waited for a few minutes before slowly moving to his bed. No sooner than he struggled onto it than the door opened again. 

“Who’s there?”

“Duncan...sir I…”

“No need for sir, Duncan. ‘Sir’ is for generals and old men, and I am neither.” He heard a large pair of feet shuffle along the carpet and place a paper in his hand. Strife sighed before moving his fingers along the seams of the paper. “Duncan, I can’t read anymore.” He handed it back towards the direction it had been given, and slumped against the pillows at the head of his bed.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” He took the letter back quickly. “It basically reports about...the instability of the world sir.”

“Instability?” Strife immediately sat up straight. “Tell me more.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Kim and Duncan had returned to town, to continue their work with the Technomancers, and Zoey and Fiona were forced away by responsibilities to their llamas. That left Strife alone with Teep and Rythian. The mage stayed away from him enough, merely glaring at him from shadows sometimes to make him feel uneasy. Maybe once it would have scared him more than it did, but once you see the humanity in a monster, it’s very hard to unsee. The other one was mute, tongue cut out when he was a child, and seemed more cheerful. Strife could never tell though, and they spent of their time together in long silence as Strife struggled to teach himself to read without seeing. Sometimes, he would even venture from the third floor where he was shut away most of the time. It was a special treat when Teep touched his stomach and index finger. It was the only way they could communicate, and Strife hated being touched, so they didn’t do it often. Those times Teep did take him downstairs it was to the kitchen through the narrow back stairwell, so as not to alert Rythian. It had been one whole week, and to his surprise, the door outside of the kitchen opened. Zoey had come for a visit, as she normally did. When she saw Strife sitting comfortably in front of the wood stove, she was slightly surprised.

“Has Rythian allowed him to walk the castle?” Strife was used to not being acknowledged. It came with being a prisoner. “Oh...uhm...Crikey. Ok. If you think it is alright then…” He leaned forward, head resting easily on his hands as he imagined what the fire looked like. The smell of wood burning added reds and oranges, while the sound of it crackling made him remember just how soft it could look. Then he imagined a large, black iron stove sitting in front of him, tiles cracked and worn underneath it while a stack of logs stood to the side. A hand rested on his shoulder and he suddenly tensed up, the picture in his mind vanishing as he clutched the edge of his chair. “Sorry! Sorry! I forgot…” Zoey moved away as Strife settled back into the chair.

“I think I should go back upstairs,” he muttered under his breath. He stood, but someone was standing in his way.

“Listen, you can’t just keep locking yourself away forever.”

“No, I tried to starve myself, but since you won’t let me do that, the least I deserve is some goddamn peace and quiet.”

“You aren’t getting any peace by willing yourself to die!” Her voice was rising, like it usually did when Zoey got into arguments. For once, she actually sounded confident, and the normal sputtering that came with it hadn’t appeared yet. “You said you were wrong, that you were sorry! So why are you so willing to just let the world go on with your consequences!”

“BECAUSE EVERY TIME I TRY TO HELP I HURT SOMEONE!” Strife couldn’t believe he had said that. He didn’t have much time to think about what he said as he felt blood rushing to his face as Zoey shouted back.

“GET OVER YOURSELF STRIFE! YOU MESSED THE WORLD UP ENOUGH, THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS TRY AND HELP IT.” That really got to Will, and he gritted his teeth, trying to think of something to say.

“You...you...I...GAH! You’re worse than...AGH!” He threw his hands into the air and stomped upstairs, fed up with the conversation. He expected Teep to follow, but he didn’t, and he was forced to go slink back to his room on the third floor. He didn’t think Rythian had missed their screaming match, but he really didn’t care. What did they...she...know about him. Nothing. Nothing! But, deep inside, he knew she was right. He was wasting his potential, and that was becoming increasingly inefficient in this day and age. His hands finally grasped the familiar doorknob and he went inside, crashing onto the cold covers of his bed. He tried to forget about everything, go back in time. And he heard the music again.

She was there again, beautiful, graceful, her eyes flashing in the ballroom chandelier light. Brown eyes...and then he remembered when she found out who he was. She climbed their garden wall to talk to him. And he showed her the library. And she showed him the museums. Sneaking out, being kids. It had only been a few months but…

He looked towards the canopy, dreaming of the gilded room, and his mother watching him dance. His father, angry, telling him never to dance with a commoner again.

Strife hadn’t cared. When he was Emperor, he could dance with whoever he wanted. His father hit him hard across the face.

Never talk to him again that way. He might be a prince, but he had much more to learn. Strife hated his father and then…

He was brought back to reality, to the cold bed and the sound of a knock on his door. He sat up, alert and ready for whoever was on the other side.

“Come in.” Rythian stepped in, Strife could tell from his light step. He wafted over like the smell of breakfast in the skillet, except Rythian smelled like bitter herbs and the weird slimy liquid in his Sermophiliam. And mint. The thing about Rythian was that no matter what magical essence he smelled of, there was always the underlying scent of crisp, cold mint on his breath. It was unnerving, sending shivers up Strife’s spine.

“I heard you quarreling with Zoey.”

“What about it.”

“She’s right you know. No matter how hard you argue or disagree, she’s often right.” Strife swung his legs over the side of the bed, toes touching the cold, wooden floor. He knew it was magnificent, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t constructed poorly, especially when encountering the problem of  _ heat _ .

“Yeah yeah, both of them.” He shuffled towards the bathroom, his hands flung out before him. Rythian followed closely behind, the stink of sweet herbs and that damn minty flavor following him like a puppy. He slowly began to take off his bandage. He learned very quickly that he didn’t have to worry about Rythian seeing his flux. Afterall, he understood what it was like to hide something behind a mask...or a scarf. 

“Are you sorry.”

“For what.”

“Everything.”

“Most things.” Strife wrapped the clean bandage around his eyes, throwing the purple stained one into his bin. He sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair. “Yeah, most things.”

“Zoey wants me to forgive you.”

“What, not going to ask for my forgiveness? You kind of raided my country by night.”

“You kind of outlawed my friends.”

“You  _ kind of _ sent a plague on us.”

“You  _ kind of _ destroyed our homes.” Rythian’s voice was as cold as his breath. It sent Strife over the edge.

“ _ You kind of killed my family _ .” The room tensed, like the air was being vacuumed out. “My mother...my father...my best friend...they died 10 years ago during the Ender Plague.” Will’s hands were gripping the side of the sink, trying not to crush it under the pressure of his rageful fingertips.

“I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t. So many people died...the world smelled of ink and death. First the coughing, then the pox, black like the Reaper, then they would hallucinate, and then they would die in burning pain. That’s the Ender Plague, Rythian. That’s what drove me over the edge. Not the teachings I was funneled in school, not the rantings of my father, but the fact you can destroy  _ everything _ with the wave of your hand. You can’t control it. You can’t program it...You just take and destroy.”

“Strife I…”

“Get... _ out _ .” 


	9. Emergency!

The forest was dense, almost impossible to see through at night. Kim was forced to send out three lumen spheres, and they shed a faint, milky white glow around them. It was the only route to Teuwarf, which caused much groaning among the Technomancers when they were forced to do monthly check ups on the towns in the Western Ridge. Teuwarf was the largest, and that was an exaggeration. It had at most 500 people in the town and respective radius. Compared to Ashbourne’s 5,000, you can see why there where very few roads to the Ridge.

The first thing she saw other than trees, shrubs, thorns, and (guess what!) more trees, was a very small wooden shack on the edge of the forest. Echo was cantering nervously, not enjoying the closed feel of the forest, so when she saw sunlight, she immediately bolted forward. Outside of the forest was a small, stone path, a wooden sign pointing to Teuwarf, and a man lounging on the porch of a small, log cabin. Kim could hear the sound of machines whirring in the back, and approached carefully. It wasn’t long before she recognized the face.

“Hello! Is this the way to Teuwarf?”

“To what  _ was _ Teuwarf at least.” The man stood up, a glass of lemonade in his hand. It slowly floated down gently back to its spot on the table as he approached Kim. The gold buckles on his navy blue coat shined in the dying sunlight.

“What do you mean,” she questioned as her hands gripped Echo’s jerking reins. “Down girl…”

“A couple of salesmen showed up a month or two ago. Now, everyone has gone all…” He paused, trying to find the right word. “Dull.”

“What? Dull? What are you talking about?”

“They have no color in them. They just mill around doing what they’re told. Like sheep.”

“Why wasn’t this reported to the technomancers?!” She stood in the stirrups, trying to get a look at the small village. 

“I told them not to trust the product, it’s there fault what happened and now they’re getting what they deserve.” The man shrugged leaned against a shiny black mailbox.

“Listen, you know you’re on parole.”

“Ah, fuck. Ok. I’m not allowed to move past this wall.” He pointed at the stone half-wall separating the road and his land. “They have a forcefield around the whole thing. And even if I did get out, they have...leverage.”

“What kind of leverage, Ridge?”

“I was wondering if you were lying. A red matter bomb.”

“WHAT?! Oh my god!” She turned towards town, ready to run forward.

“They have cameras all over town. You wouldn’t get five feet in until they set it off.”

“They wouldn’t...they’re bluffing.”

“SipsCo. doesn’t bluff.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Ok...so what is a red matter bomb,” asked Nilesy as Kim explained the situation. the rest of the officers were seated around the table, some drinking while others wrote down information. Zylus was sitting with his head dangling in his palms.

“A red matter bomb creates a wormhole. It’ll suck everything into it until there is nothing left.”

“So...having it go off would be bad.”

“Very,” Zylus said, a hint of desperation peppered in his hopeless tone, “End of the world. Apocalypse. Revelation.”

“We get it. We just have to dismantle it then and free the villagers.” Hannah was stitching her familiar owl hat as they discussed. She spoke easily, as if someone wasn’t holding a weapon strong enough to destroy the world about 20 miles away.

“Easier said than done. Apparently, from what Ridge said, the entire town is being controlled by some weird thing around their necks. It’s small enough that SipsCo knows when one of them isn’t a worker. And, the bomb is held in the new town center.”

“New town center?” Duncan looked at the picture she slid him and whistled lowly. “Ah, that new town center.” It was a massive steel dome, covering the old square. “Does it go down?”

“Yep. All 64.”

“Shit!” Zylus sat back, rubbing his head. Kim set down a mining map and compass. It showed multiple old passageways and newer mines built by treasure hunters. It was stained slightly with coffee rings, a corner was chew off, and a few spots had a strange orange sploch on them.

“We’ll dig in.”

“WHAT?! Dig in? At 64 levels!? You’re crazy!” Zylus sat back, hair now sticking in crazy directions from his frustration.

“Why?” Lomadia, again, spoke in her quiet, undisturbed tone 

“Why?! WHY?! Because if we dig too low, we’ll get detected by ground floor lasers. Dig to high, and we fall out to our deaths. We would literally have to dig into this place at the perfect angle. Not to mention how quiet we would have to be not to be noticed!”

“We can do it...if someone goes on the inside.”

“Who would be crazy enough to do that for us?” Kim smiled at them and waved her hand towards the exit. 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Yeah, I’ll do it, but it’ll cost you.” Minty pushed a long lock of blonde hair behind her head. One hand held a glass mug and the other, an old, worn, rag. The rest of the group were huddled around Kim, their green capes draped in an orange hue from the large fireplace at the other end of the bar.

“20 gold pieces.”

“50,” she sighed, huffing a puff of humid air onto the glass and rubbing.

“25 and the world won’t explode.” Kim smirked at her and sipped the tea in front of her calmly. “Apocalypses are certainly bad for business, I would think.”

“Make it thirty and we have a deal.” They shook hands, and Kim gave her a small bag, jingling and full with money, and two bronze coins for the cup of tea. “So, I just gotta keep them occupied?”

“Yes, then we’ll come in and take down the bomb. But, we need you to do one last thing, Mity.” She looked up, the mug she was occupied with now standing upside down on a shelf. The rag was flung lopsidedly over her shoulder. “We need you to free Teuwarf. They got some kind of mind control on them, and we’ll be busy making sure it doesn’t blow.”

“It’s the dirt.”

“The what,” Duncan interrogated, quite unsurely at that.

“That’s their thing. They go around swindling people by telling ‘em their dirt is ‘quality’ and ‘special’. Tried to come ‘round here a few months ago peddlin’ that.”

“What did you do?”

“Dragged them into the street by their shirt collars. I don’t tolerate scamming in my bar. Anyway, they came in all smug about two months ago and once they got tipsy, they started talking about taking over a town with their product. I guess they were talking literally.”

“So how do we stop them?”

“It’s magic, so you know what that means,” Hannah said, scratching the chin of the pygmy owl on her shoulder.

“No...he’s too dangerous!”

“To dramatic you mean.”

“Oh god…” Kim suddenly sympathized with Zylus. It was hard being exasperated.


	10. Mission: Slightly Probable

Kim was worried. Even though she tried to act like everything was fine, a blind person could see through her act. Luckily enough, Blackrock Stronghold had one on site.

And Strife knew what a liar sounded like. He played it off like everything  _ was _ fine, and returned to his studies. Fiona had given him a book on Braille, and their weekly lessons allowed him to begin work again. Rythian was strongly opposed to the notion, but a long talk with Teep soon settled it. It also felt good to read again, even if it was only children’s books. 

“And the mouse…” He stopped, fingertips brushing against the bumps. He soon regain his confidence. “Gave the cheese to the cat. The cat..ya...was happy. Now the cat, and the mouse, are haq...happy. It’s always the ‘P’! I keep thinking ‘Q’ is ‘P’.”

“That’s alright. Just take it slowly. If you need to use your cheat sheet, that’s ok.”

“No. I need to learn this.” He took the alphabet sheet and slowly began going over his letters.”B...H...T...O…”

“We should stop. You’ve done really well this week.” Fiona stood and began shuffling the papers into the leather case. Strife sighed.

“I’m never going to learn it at this rate. Could you leave a paper here? So I could practice?”

“Ok. Keep your alphabet sheet and this list of words.” She put the pages in his hands and pushed her chair in. “Now let’s see what’s got Kim in such a flurry.” When they heard the news, they were a little bit more than surprised. Strife, was sitting back in a chair, having an existential crisis as Zoey rubbed her head unsurely.

“But you have a plan, right? You never not have a plan. Especially when we desperately need a plan.”

“Yeah. We have to sneak in and take the bomb apart.”

“Oooh! Like spies.”

“Yeah, like spies. But we need Rythian’s help.”

“Why do you need my help? I don’t know how to diffuse a bomb.”

“No, we’re bringing Zoey for that. We need Rythian for the,” she waved her hand in the air, “other thing. Apparently, they’re controlling the villagers with weird dirt.” The endermage was bristling in his dark, wooden thrown. He had made it extra creepy with dead thorns and the pelt of an owlbear that had tried to attack Buttercup and Tom, who replaced Tim after he hurt his leg. 

“So… mind control. They must have some kind of nuerotoxin in it...That or witchery, which it might be. Whatever it is, there will be something that controls it. We destroy that, the villagers  _ should _ regain their conscious.”

“ _ Should? _ ” Duncan had come in mid conversation, dusting snow from his shoulders and hair. 

“Trust me, it’ll work. But it’s going to take a small team of highly trained individuals to make sure that the mission ends well.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Alright, here’s the plan.” Kim gathered her team of averagely trained individuals around her. “Zylus, you’re staying in home base to make sure that communications stay open and unheard. Minty will be going in to distract them, but I need someone else. Nilesy...sell them a pool.”

“You got it, Cap’n.”

“Good. I’ll lead Alpha squadron through the tunnels with Xephos and Honeydew. They know the underground better than anyone I know. Zoey, Fiona, and Teep will come with us, Zoey to defuse the bomb, and Fiona and Teep to provide backup in the instance we get found. Rythian and Hannah, you’ll be our infiltration team, our Beta Squad. You go in there, find the mind-control device, and destroy it. We think it may be witchery, so you’re the most suitable. and finally, Duncan will be on the outskirts of the forest with his forcefield generator. He’s our last chance if all else fails. If you get the signal, Code EVE, then you book it in any direction. It means the bombs gonna blow, and you have to get out 40 meters to be safe. I don’t care what you’re doing, who you’re helping, or where you are. You get out of Teuwarf as fast as possible. Understand?”

The group nodded solemnly, and Kim returned it. 

“Good. Now, let’s move out.” They went to their respective stations, Teep to prepare arrows, Fiona to sharpen her sword, and others to plan the best routes in. Kim shouldered her laser carefully as she double-checked her inventory. Grapple, wire cutters, communicator (which she forced Rythian to take, much to his displeasure), swiss army knife, and a letter to the Technomancers if they didn’t return. She left it on her desk and closed the door, not afraid and totally terrified of their mission. They could die. They could  _ all _ die. But they couldn’t leave SipsCo. A) in control of an entire town and B) with a red matter bomb. So, she swallowed her anxiety and strode forward casually, as if they face the end of worlds on a daily basis. Zylus was at his radio station, ready to start sending out signals when needed. They nodded at each other, and the Alpha team walked outside. Rythian was already floating, and Lomadia was perched on her flying broom. Nilesy’s horse was clopping around nervously, his bridle held firmly in his owner’s hand. Minty was levitating on her hoverboard, waiting for the rest of them to mount. In a show of impressive coordination, they were standing by their steeds, ready for their Captain. She looked around. Word must have spread they were going on a mission, because many townspeople had gathered to see them go.

“Technomancers, mount!” They did so, most with fluid confidence, though Zoey needed a hand up onto Fiona’s borrowed horse. Kim began galloping forward, as did the rest of her team. The thundering sound of horses thrilled her. They charged forward a brigade to free the people of Teuwarf. 


	11. Everything Goes to Shit

It would have been an understatement to say that things went badly for the technomancers. In fact, many critics firmly believe it was one of the worst cases of bad luck to ever grace Verrum. And it happened in this exact order:

  1. Nilesy fell off his horse and injured his ankle, forcing them to send him home.
  2. The picks Xephos and Honeydew broke on a vein of skystone.
  3. Minty managed to get them drunk only after they shut down the entire village.
  4. Duncan accidently gave a false alarm when he heard a boom, but that was just Ridge experimenting in his shack
  5. After getting new picks and digging around the meteor, they realized they had dug too high.
  6. Rythian and Lomadia got lost over Rebels Forest
  7. Once they actually got to SipsCo HQ, Rythian set off an alarm.
  8. Zoey was rushed to try and defuse the bomb, and accidentally snipped the wrong circuit.
  9. Duncan dropped the keycard to set up the forcefield.
  10. The bomb exploded.



Now, before anything else happens, no, this is not the end of the story. I did not read you a very long epic about magic and science, and then a very short and shitty sequel to said epic. If anything it will be a very long and shitty sequel. What actually happened was the greatest stroke of luck, ever. To much of the surprise of the company, when the bomb exploded, it did not lead to the end of the world. Where the ‘red matter bomb’ used to be was now a small crater and a confused looking pig.

“Well that’s...peculiar,” Zoey said, now slowly walking out of the hole they had been pulled into by a quick thinking Xephos. Just after she hit the wrong wire, Honeydew had excavated a shelter of sorts from the initial blast. While it wouldn’t have really mattered in a real RM explosion, it did keep Zoey from being blown up by the fake bomb.

“So...they were bluffing?”

“Seems so…” Xephos rubbed the back of his head as the pig trotted forward and nuzzled against Zoey.

“Awwww. I’m gonna call you Howie.” Howie snorted and began snuffling around the parties’ legs. And then the door opened, and the pair known as SipsCo stepped inside.

“Well, well, well. Look what we’ve got here, boss.”

“Looks like a couple of trespassers.”

“Sips! Sjin! In the name of the Technomancers, I hereby place you under arrest,” Kim stepped forward, slinging her laser off her shoulder and quickly pointing at them. They both laughed.

“Well look at that,” Sips said, smirking, “ _ Official _ trespassers, Sjin!” They both unleashed their own weapons and pointed them at the group. “Now, you put that down, and we’ll let your little friends live.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure that you don’t want that pretty little mage of yours to get hurt.”

“What have you done with Rythian?!” Zoey pushed past Kim, ready to fight the two men in strange white work suits. 

“Nothing, if you’ll come quietly with us.” He motioned with his weapon for the captain to drop her gun, which she did so angrily.

“Bastards,” She sneered at them

“With pride. Now, come with us.” They led them to a wide open room, with various elevators and portals leading away. Sjin pointed to a set of tubes hooked into the side of the wall. “Drop you things in that bin. Everything, or you’ll be sorry.” Sjin patted them down, making sure everything was gone. Fiona practically bit his hand off when he tried to search Zoey. He decided she was a bit too much for him to chew, and ushered them towards a few sets of tubes.

“Go on. Each in their own tube.” They filed in, even Teep, who was ready to sick his iguana on them at any second. With a push of a button, they were sucked up and out of the main mine and, soon, lost sight of each other. The open area suddenly disappeared as they were transported through meter thick veins of air, cut through the rock. Kim tried not to breath, because the vacuum almost  _ made  _ you. It was frightening, not even having control over your own breath. But the feeling subsided when Kim was shot into a large jail. Before she could get her bearings, guards picked her up by her arms and dragged her into a cell. Blinking away the spots from her transport, she recognized the figure in the cell with her. 

“Nilesy?”

“Kim! Oh my god, you’re alright.” He was seat on a very old mattress in the corner of the room, nursing his injured ankle.

“But we sent you back home…”

“Caught me in the forest. Didn’t even make it 30 meters before the nabbed me.”

“Dammit. This isn’t good. But Zylus will realize we’re gone and…”

“Hi, Kim.” He looked out of the thinly spaced bars, she saw two familiar hands.

“Goddammit Zylus.”

“Well, I got a radio message saying you needed help, so I came down as quickly as possible. Then...uh…”

“You fell in a hole,” Nilesy interjected from his mattress. 

“Yeah...so uhm...sorry.” Kim peered into the dim light, trying to see who was across from them. Then bright, white, artificial lights sputtered to life above them, putting a glow on the smoothed stone that composed the floor. 

“Wakey wakey everyone!” Kim then saw the entirety of the prison. It was huge, stretching beyond her peripherals on either side. Many voices started shouting in anger as the voice cried out into the hall.

“Shut up, ya big babbies.” Sips was walking unhurriedly, sometimes tapping the bars of the cage with a long metal spear. 

“Sips! You bastard. Let us out of here right now,” Hannah screamed, a cell or two down from Kim and Nilesy. “I swear, when I get my hands on you I’m gonna...AH!” Sips was jabbing into her room, electricity sprinting off his baton like mustangs. 

“Fucker! Don’t you hurt her!” Nilesy was struggling to get up. Kim forced him back down

“You’re too hurt Nilesy.”

“Too hurt, my ass! That’s my friend, and they’re a bunch of fucking…”

“Language, Nilesy. We have children in here you know.” Sjin, with his own weapon, was standing at the bars that separated them. Kim approached, slowly, as to not get herself zapped.

“How many are in here, Sjin.”

“Oh...at least a hundred. Anyone who wouldn’t buy our product was sent here.”

“And Ridge?”

“Oh we showed Ridge mercy. An old friend, we were very happy with letting him live and work in his little bubble. But then he went and snitched on us to you. Now he’s...let’s just say... _ indisposed _ at the moment.” He snickered heartily and tapped the bars. “I’m not one to play the fool, Kim Nano.”

“You could have fooled me.” His eyebrows suddenly shot into a V formation very suddenly.

“I would keep my trap shut if I were you.”

“Oi, Sjin!”

“Yeah boss?”

“Come over and help me get this one out.”

“Stop it! No! Not her, please!”

“Let go of me, you pieces of shit!” Kim clutched the bars as Sips chucked Fiona into the middle area. When she tried to run into him, he shot her with his laser. From the color, it was on stun.

“What are you going to do to her?”

“It takes a lot of work for the neurological effect to work it’s magic if the user isn’t willing, but don’t worry yourself,  _ Captain _ . I won’t keep you out of the know for long.” He walked over and began dragging Fiona’s limp body as Zoey screamed at them to let her go.

“No! Please, not her! Not her!” She was sobbing now, trying to rip at the door. “Don’t do this!” And then, Fiona and SipsCo disappeared behind two steel, sliding doors, and the lights went out once again. 


	12. Break Out

Kim walked over, the pan cold in her hand, to Nilesy. His ankle still wasn’t better, and he could barely move it. She handed him a spoon and the cold nutritional mush, and watched him eat.

“KIM?” She walked over to the opening in their room.

“Yeah, Hannah?”

“Is Nilesy ok?”

“Yeah. He’s eating. Dunno about his ankle.” Suddenly, the lights switched on, and everyone froze. Kim watched as Sjin and Sips stunned another person...This time, it was Zylus.

“Panda! Nilesy! No! N-.”  Zylus screamed for his friends, anyone, to help him, but it was too late. He was pushed against their door and quickly shot down, and dragged away. Nilesy watched in horror as he had grabbed at their bars, but he was gone as quickly as he had appeared. There were no sneers, no jives, no laugh at their expense. They just took their people now. And it terrified them all. Today was different though. As they took Zylus away, Kim could almost hear a buzzing noise. The guards ignored it and kept dragging. And then, a man in a black shirt with a triangle, one man in a red shirt with a black vest, and a woman in a floral print dress, blasted through the upper wall and zoomed in on hoverboards. The red-shirt-black-vest man almost looked like a comedy routine, leaning from side to side with a steady hand placed on the man he shared the board with. 

“GET READY TO BE PARVED.” The men sent a flurry of laser shots at the guards and zoomed next to Kim’s cell.

“Strife!” Will blundered away before his companion turned him around and began working on the door.

“Kim! You’re alright. Thank god Minty was right. Parv, hurry up on that door!” Speaking of the bartender, she was dragging Zylus over behind the enclave near the door, and then quickly ran back into the fray.

“I’m working on it, Will! Wait. What, did you say? Strife?”  Parv actually managed to open their cell without messing up much.

“Well tell you later. Come on!” Strife walked out of cover, but was immediately pushed the other way. “Right! That way!” They moved quickly, opening doors along the way.

“This’ll take forever! We can’t hack into every cell. We need to go to the supercomputer,” Minty roared over the deafening sound of laser fire. Nilesy was leaning on Strife, directing which way to turn. “Then we can just open all of them. You guys go, I’ll keep the guards off the prison floor. Take that elevator up 5 stories. You gotta press in the code and activate immediate cell release. Ok? Now go!” She fired a few more shots, urging Panda and Dave, two technomancers that had been captured on their patrol, to start trying to open cell doors. 

“Leave me here, you’ll move faster,” Nilesy shouted at them. They were hesitant at first, but the small, wiry man had made his decision.  Kim nodded and led Strife and Nilesy to the side, leaning them up against Hannah and Teep’s cage.

“Look after them. I’ll get us out of here.” The two ragged individuals nodded, hands gripping the sides of the bars. As Kim turned, Strife picked himself up. “You’re not coming.”

“You going to try and stop me?” A beam shot slightly above their heads, making a massive crack in the wall. “Come on, we don’t have time!” They ran into the open door and shot up through the elevator. When it stopped, they stepped into a vacated control room. The panels were covered in bright flashing lights and monitors. 

“Ok, open the doors Parv.”

“What? You mean you don’t know how to?”

“NO I DON’T KNOW HOW TO. I THOUGHT YOU WOULD, I DON’T KNOW, HAVE A PLAN?” 

“Don’t yell at me! I just kind of wing things.”

“Oh my god, get out of my way.” Strife walked up until he bumped into the control board. “Ok Kim, what kind of device is it?”

“Uhm,” she said, looking over the buttons. It had been a long time since she had gone over console types. “Ok so it’s got a lot of buttons, some monitors...Oh! It’s an IndustrialCraft board.”

“Industrial craft building control...ok ok...yeah I had one in my training room. Is their a bright purple board?”

“Yes.”

“Ok, I’m going to need you to press enter.” 

“Done. A screen popped up looking for a password.”

“Type in DIRT. All capital letters. It’s what they always used for their passes.”

“Ok, now it’s got a bunch of files on the main display.”

“Got it...I need you to go over...onetwothreefour...six panels ok? There should be a cluster of colored lights.”

“They’re yellow. And there a bunch of switches beneath them.”

“Ok, tell me what the strip on the side is.”

“It’s uhm...flashing blue.”

“Kay...blueblueblueblue...hit the first, second, and fourth switch.”

“Uhhhhh, done.”

“Now it should say that you have accessed the prison controls. What color button do you have glowing?”

“Red, with the word engage.”

“Ok, press it.”

When Kim pressed this button, the prisoners were released, and the two guards fending off the released technomancers were overwhelmed.

“We did it!” Kim slouched down, but Strife was moving quickly to the exit. “What is it!?”

“Come on! We have to find the others before SipsCo!”

____________________________________________________________________________

Zoey was being dragged along by Teep, who had successfully punched an oncoming guard in the face and was running for the sliding doors opposite of the elevator with the rest of the technomancers and released prisoners. She didn’t know where she was, or who she was. She had the face of a marble statue and eyes like clouded marbles. Ever since Fiona had been dragged away...and then Toby...and then Xephos...oh she could still hear them screaming no, not there, don’t tear me away to the place where you never return. Martyn urged her forward.

“Come on, Zoey! We have to get out of here.” So they ran, and ran, and ran. Up flight upon flight of stairs and through twisting hallways, past laser shots and unconscious guards. But then, something snapped in Zoey. She loosened her hand from Teep’s grip, and they got separated in the swarm of people. He jumped up mutely, unable to call her name. Then he was swept away by the crowd, and Zoey, pulling a gun from the hip of a guard, set out along the hallway. She was going to find Fiona… she was going to find Rythian...she might even kill Sjin in the process.

“Computer, location of Fiona Saberial Riches.” 

“Soldier: 18880 alias Fiona Riches, holding unit 42 on this level.” She nodded and shut down the terminal she had accessed and ran until she came to two double doors with a large 42 painted in white paint on the front. Opening them, she found a room lined with 8 foot tall tubes filled with a strange, glowing green gel. When Zoey examined them more closely, she noticed small particles flowing in the gooey substance. Walking quickly, she looked at each one for her friends. Then she saw her.

Soldier 18880 was in her respective pod, chilling in goop until SipsCo had need of her. Tubes tangled themselves into her body, and a breathing mask fell over her mouth. Eyes closed, she looked peaceful. The panel in front stated ‘1 week since hibernation’. Zoey quickly went to the main terminal and began going through the files. She saw 18880’s folder and clicked it. In it was a video, showing her Initiation Sequencing. She was tied to a table, and shots of a purple liquid were being forced into her arm. She sweated...she screamed...she fought against the straps holding her down. Zoey closed it quickly.

“Fiona...I swear to god...nothing is ever going to happen to you ever again.” Her fingers moved across the keys, and the pod open, sending an ocean of tealish goop onto the ground. The tubes unlodged themselves, and the body of Fiona fell, covered in slime and goo. “Fi? FI!” Zoey knelt beside her, shaking her heartily. “Fiona please,” she said, tears streaming down her face, “Please, wake up. Wake up.” Then, her eyes opened, and Zoey felt the very breath be sucked out of her lungs.

“Z...Zoey?” The girl sat up, like a large slimy piece of gelatin, and locked eyes with Zoey.

“Fiona…” The two women embraced, arms hugging as if scared to ever let go. “Oh my god. I was so scared. I was so scared, Fiona. I was so scared I would never see you again.”

“Oh, Zozo...Oh my god...I’m here…Don’t be scared.”

“Not anymore...oh god never again…I’ll never be scared again, as long as you have your hand in mine...oh Fiona.”

“Oh, Zoey.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Teep had been struggling to relocate his friend, and he had a feeling she was looking for Fiona. Will, Kim, and that other dude had not been seen since they disappeared, leaving Teep alone. He had managed to keep his iguana alive, and it sat on his head, looking for the brown haired women. Following a map on a terminal, he came to an enclosed laboratory. It was filled with monitors, showing life signs, room conditions. One wall was taken up partially by a glass panel. On the other side was a pale room encrusted with a strange creamy stone, and purple/green runes. In the middle of the room, Rythian slouched on the ground, visibly shaking. Teep banged against the glass, trying to attract the mage’s attention, though he had no such luck. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a chair and banged it against the glass once...then again...and again. On the fourth bang, the window cracked, ever so slightly. Urged on by this sign of weakness, Teep kept smashing, and hitting, and kicking. Eventually, it broke in a cloud of shattered glass onto the floor. Rythian finally looked up from his hunched position.

“T...Teep? Where’s Zoey? Where’s Fiona...where...where…” The man leapt into the room to try and help his friend. His skin immediately started pricking from the large congregation of magical power. Teep began signing worriedly. “Stop...you’re going too fast.” Teep sighed and slowly began to tell him that they were escaping, but he couldn’t find Zoey or the others. “Ok...come on help me up…” Teep helped from his strange jail cell, and they began limping out into the main hallway.


	13. Why You Never Mess with the Genetic Code

Strife had been left to his own devices when Rythian, Kim, the FiZone, and Teep had left for their “Super Secret mission”, as Zoey had called it. And he began preparing. While they wouldn’t let him come (“An untrained blind mind could die in an instance!”), he decided three days in that this was the best time to leave. He would take the Mountain passage to the Northern Peaks, then find a boat for transport across the Borealin Ocean to the New World Colonies. There he might even make a new life for himself. Every day in this place just reminded him of the past, on what he did, on what he thought he could do. So, it surprised him when a woman caught him leaving the castle, dressed in warm clothing he had…’borrowed’ from Blackrock.

“Hey! Hey, you!” He had looked up towards the sky, where he could swear he thought she was levitating. The fumes from the hoverboard hit him suddenly, and he was quickly brought back to reality. “You know the guy that lives here?”

“Rythian? Of course. He’s not here though,” Strife mumbled, wrapping his robe more tightly around himself.

“You know where he is?”

“‘Course...can’t tell you though. Top secret ‘Technomancer’ business.”

“They’ve been captured.”

Strife dropped his bag and moved forward, hands outstretched. “What!? When!?”

“Couple of days ago. All the Technomancers have been caught and I don’t even want to think about what they’re doing to them.” She picked Strife up and placed him on the end of her board, causing Will to involuntary wrap his arms around her. “Come on, we gotta find  _ someone  _ who can help us.”

“I may know someone who can. Do you know any travelling musicians?”

____________________________________________________________________________

Will was being crushed very slowly by the arms of a very annoying guitarist when Minty found him in the Crooked Caber. The others stood around, laughing as Will gasped for air.

“WILL! Ohmygodwethoughtsomeonehadkidnappedyouwellsparklesthoughtsoandkogiewas”like naw he’proubablyjustwonderedoff”andthenwelookedandlookedforyoubutyouweren’tanywheresowewenttoashbourneandthenallofasuddenyoushowuphere!” Parvis squeezed even him even more tightly as the river of words hit him incoherently.

“Ok! I get it Parvis, but I need your help right now. My friends have been captured and we’re going to storm the prison.”

“COOL! Do we get awesome lasers? OH! OH! Can I have a laser sword?! Can we use my guitar so it sends out super big shock waves…”

“Shut up, Parv. Yeah, we’ll help you. What do you need?” Sparkles and the others came forward confidently as Kogie slapped a hand over Parv’s large and unblockable mouth. Strife smiled to himself and explained their plan.

So things went pretty flawlessly until they met up with Teep and Rythian.

“What do you mean you lost Zoey?!” The dinosaur began signing furiously to Kim. “Fiona? Oh...oh god you’re right. You don’t think Sips and Sjin did anything to her?”

“I don’t know. They did some messed up stuff to me…” Rythian was leaning lopsidedly over Duncan’s shoulder, trying his best not to wobble from his lack of strength. “We have to find them, before SipsCo does.” Rythian’s eyes suddenly became very cold, much more hardened than Kim had ever noticed before. “If they lay one finger on their heads I’m going to…”

“To what, Rythian?” They turned to see Sjin, with a group of soldiers behind him. “I’m not sure you can think of something more cruel than poisoning an entire water supply.”

“What? What the hell are you talking about?” Kim looked at Duncan, who avoided eye contact, as did Rythian.

“Ha! Did you really not tell them? You killed thousands of people, Rythian. To win your bloody war. Now, if you don’t mind, give me back Strife.” The group stiffened, creating a sudden wall of human flesh and bone. But, as they tried to protect their friend,  the blindfolded man walked to the front of them. “Good, take him to Holding Chamber Alpha. The rest of the squadron, escort these... _ intruders _ ...to Chamber 12. Come in, Sips. I have invited our guests for tea. Over.” 

“Tea time is a go. Escaped Base has been put back into cryo. Over.”

“10-4, Sips. Sjin, out.” Strife wrestled gently against the arms, but the soldiers’ grips were strong, and he couldn’t but be dragged away. Kim glared at Sjin hatefully as the guards grabbed them and escorted them towards the stairs. Down and down they twisted, kicking and screaming. Every so often you could hear a solid THUNK, the sound of Rythian dropping to the ground. While Kim couldn’t see it happen itself, she noticed his dark hair pop back up again and resumed being dragged by the two men who had clasped themselves around his arms.

“Alright, put ‘em on that platform.” Sjin pointed over a couple of feet at a grilled ledge above a badly painted tub of fleshy lumps stewing inside a milky liquid. The entire room smelled slightly of blood and sweat. “So, you  _ technomancers _ really thought you could escape? Don’t make me laugh. We could have used you, but you had to go and ruin everything.” Sjin couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as they were closed off on the outcrop,

“This is your last chance, Sjin,” Rythian snarled, still leaning on Duncan. “Don’t make me do something I might regret.” This time, Sjin’s laugh resounded around the chamber.

“Oh! That’s good. I was afraid you’d let me off easy. Now ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t mind, I wouldn’t want to keep  _ his higness _ waiting, would I? Tah-tah” He smiled as bars shot up around the crowd and the platform was rocketed a hundred feet in the air. Kim felt her legs stop working and she fell against the others trapped with her. When she finally opened her eyes, they were dangling above the large laboratory.

“What the hell are they going to do to Strife?”

“What? What are you talking about,” Parv said, pulling himself up from the floor of their cell.

“He...oh god he lied to you didn’t he?” Duncan was helping Rythian sit up when the statement emerged. “His name is William Strife…”

Parvis laughed nervously. “What? That’s impossible. He’s not...he’s not…” His impish face fell into a horrified look. “He’s...he’s him isn’t he? But...the king died. He  _ died _ .”

“No, he didn’t. It was agreed that he didn’t deserve death, and we exiled him to the Outlands…” Rythian was staring up at the jagged rocks hanging over the top of their cage. Parvis stood with a strange forcefulness, causing the apparatus to sway dangerously

“How could you do that?! Lie to the entire world?! What gives you the right to act like everything’s ok?!”

“It was for-”

“Don’t give me that ‘greater-good’ crap! You guys are flipping Technomancers! You were supposed to bridge the goddamn gap. You haven’t done anything but lie and tell everyone everything’s ok!” Sparkles had to try and pull his friend down, but Parv ripped his arm away from the ginger-haired man. “Stop it! I can’t believe I wanted to be like you.” Rythian didn’t match his glare, and Kim was forced to tell Parvis to sit down.

“Yes, we made mistakes, but we didn’t want Mechs having a political revolution under the banner of a blind king!”

“Just...stop…” Parv sat down, trying to not meet any of their company’s eyelines. “Just don’t.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Well, well, well. William Strife. I’m glad that you’re here. I was almost afraid that you died in the Outlands.” 

The guards had strapped Strife into some weird lab table, and despite his best effort, he had remained stuck when the slimy voice of Sjin had met his ears. “No words, then? Shame. I was hoping you’d be more happy to see me again.”

“Let me go now, you sick son-of-a-bitch. If I wasn’t tied down you’d be so sorry.”

“Mmm, I’m sure I would. Shame that you can’t see. You have a front row seat to watching your friends before they die.”

“What did you do with them, bastard!”

“Oh, they’re currently 150 feet above the ground in a metal cage awaiting their Genetic Processing. Don’t worry, though, Strife. You won’t meet the same fate as them.” Strife’s mouth tightened into a thin line, not wanting to encourage his captor. “Genetic processing. You know what that is Strife?”

“Cloning…”

“Very good. Of course, not all of them will be melted down for their cells. We might keep a few of the interesting ones. Kim, is that her name? Oh she’ll look so nice in a chamber.”

“You sick cunt.”

“Oh! Language, Strife! It’s not even watershed yet.” Sjin laughed, and Will envisioned his stupid, crooked smile under that damned moustache. “And you of course, perhaps Jones. Not that Rythian bloke though. His genes are too  _ fascinating _ . Teleportation? That would be something to add to our soldiers. Then of course we’ll melt down all the others. Poor Minty, she was proving to be such and ally. And that foolish band. Did you think you could lead a prison escape with some minstrels? Especially that stupid one...oh what's his name...the one with the weird smile.”

“Parvis.”

“Yes! Him. Quite a bland fellow, truly. But, flesh is flesh and we wouldn’t like to waste resources.”

“If...you hurt any of them...I will personally flay you alive, you pieces of shit.”

“You’re really going to run out of vocabulary at this rate, Will.” Strife snarled as he heard the door opening. He was expecting Sips to step inside, but Sjin’s surprised gasp and a sudden flurry of gunfire made him think differently. A pair of hands began undoing his bondages.

“Who are you? I can’t see...I can’t…”

“Come on Strife, you would know an old ally when you heard one, wouldn’t you?”

“Sjin!?” Strife gritted his teeth angrily and punched the man in the nose. It felt slightly goopy for the millisecond his hand kept in contact before his face shot backwards.

“Hey! Not that one! God, seriously. I’m the other Sjin. The real Sjin!”

“Real Sjin, what the balls are you-” He stopped midsentence as he swung his legs over the table. “You didn’t...You did didn't you! You absolute freaking numbskull!” 

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, you can scold me later. Is the motherfucker dead, Sips?”

“You betcha. Take that you piece of shit cocksucker.” Strife could hear the sound of a foot thumping against a body. 

“Let’s go. We have to get the others before they die in a vat of cloning cells.”


	14. A Fox in Man's Clothes

A wise man once said “We aren’t retreating, we’re advancing in a different direction.” Now Parvis, a man who never went to any of the universities nor studied philosophy, had never heard this quote before a strange man with icy blue eyes shouted it at them when he started screaming for everyone to run in the near vicinity to retreat. 

It was pure and utter chaos, beautiful, blissful chaos. Parvis had grown up on a quiet farm, with the same routine, the same chores. When he left and joined Sparkles, it had been the same. Travel, practice, sleep, repeat. But this, this was his habitat. 

“PARVIS!? PARVIS!” The scrawny man looked up at the person screaming his name. William Strife had managed to pull his arm away from Sjin and was roaring Parv’s name at the top of his lungs. He probably would have made a horribly dirty joke if he wasn’t fuming like a tea kettle. Parvis was not someone with a short temper (you can’t have one when you’re a neutrally chaotic character like himself), but in this instance he felt like ripping Will’s head off of his pretty little shoulders. So he started moving towards him, careful not to be seen, or make sudden movements. The crowd was hurrying, his heart was beating. He felt Strife’s blood pumping through his body.

_ Baddum _

_ Baddum _

_ Baddum _

Parv leaned down carefully and picked a shard of rock on the ground, constantly being battered again and again by the surge of people. But his entire focus was on Strife, on his beating heart.

_ Baddum _

_ Baddum _

_ Baddum _

Strife wouldn’t even feel it. It was be some pain and then he would just go to sleep. A beautiful, red sleep. He inched closer and closer, an animal pouncing on unsuspecting prey. It would be so quick...it would be so  _ easy _ .

“Parv! Please, call back to me!” And suddenly, it wasn’t so easy. Strife had fallen to his knees, and Parvis could imagine a tear running down his cheek, slipping from under his tattered bandages. The shard of rock fell from his hand, the clatter making the blind man turn to the noise. “Parv? Is it you.”

“Yeah. It’s me. Come I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” He tried to smirk, tried to return his voice back to it’s cocky normality.

“God! You’re alright. Which way?” Parv laughed and grabbed Will’s hand, making the scientist blush.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Oh god, thank god you came for us! All those poor people. All of them!” The small woman in Kim’s arms was crying gently. They had made camp in a large clearing of the forest. It wasn’t much, but an army of children, elderly, sick, and weak adults cannot move quickly. She didn’t know why they left so quickly. After Sjin had killed his malfunctioning clone, most of the ‘soldiers’ (clones of base subjects) had deactivated. She assumed no one wanted to think about all the people they left behind. 

“Wasn’t anything, ma’am. If you ever need help, you can trust the Technomancers.”

“Fat amount of good you did. Technomancers, pah. Pure ‘ogwash if you ask me.”

“Well we didn’t ask you, Gaffer. Why don’t you go take another nap?”

“Bah! Pure ‘ogwash. When I was young, youths respected der elders. Y’all got no respect, ye don’t.” 

“I admit, if it wasn’t for...for my friend we would still be locked up in that prison. Speaking of... Rythian!” Kim excused herself from the crying woman and disgruntled elder to try and find the mage. After a few minutes of searching, she found him sulking up in a large oak tree. “Rythian! Do you know where...where Will is?”

“No...I though Sjin had him.”

“I talked to Sjin a few minutes ago. He last saw him with you.”

“Dammit! Just what we need, a goddamn blind man stumbling about the country-side.”

“Maybe I could be of assistance…” They turned to see Ridge, his navy blue coat as pristine as ever. “I saw him shouting out some fool’s name in the middle of the herd. Par I believe it was.” His voice was filled with poisonous disdain as he looked around at the 

“Parvis!”

“Yes, something like that. Down at the compound. If you run, you might catch them before the dire wolves.” Kim watched as Ridge’s smile twisted up like the knotted tree he leaned against. She noticed the bandage wrapped around his right arm and waist. For a smug bastard, he did look in pretty bad shape.

“Rythian, you stay here. I’ll go with Duncan and try and find them.”

“No need!” Parvis appeared beside her, patting her back. She jumped, not used to being touched there. “Didn’t mean to scare y’all. Found him wandering around and had to lead him back.”

“Oh, good. Well I’m glad you are all ok.”

“Yes. He’s in the ‘hospital’ right now.” Kim could see Rythian flinch when he said hospital in such a laughing tone. True it was a lean too with some fires, but it was better than nothing. Then again, Rythian wasn’t one for hospitals. Reminded him to much of...To be honest she didn’t know  _ what _ exactly made the mage so against science in general, but if he wanted to keep it secret, so be it.

“I...uhm...I uh...I’ll be going now...Sparkles thinks it’s best if we leave tonight.”

“Parv, you were pretty good back there. You...you think you might want to be a Technomancer?”

“Nah. Not my thing. Maybe we’ll see each other in a tavern, one day.”

“And you won’t tell anyone?”

“About him? Sure, why not. See ya.”

Kim watched as he disappeared behind a tent, softly like a fox. That’s what he reminded her of. Smirking face, smug smile, soft feet, and a tendency to create chaos. A fox in man’s clothing.

“Kim, they’re alright.” Rythian finally spoke to her, but did not face Kim directly. His eyes were glued to the vacant forest edge. “They have to be...I mean...Zoey would have found Fiona, right? She would be ok...right?”

“Rythian...we can go look for her in the morning if you want. It’s too late now and I need to set guards and patrols.”

“I can patrol,” he said quickly, as if to distract himself. “You go post guards, I can patrol the boundaries.”

“No, you’re still weak. Get some rest, and we’ll look for them in the morning.”

“Oh...Alright then. In the morning, then.” He nuzzled into his torn cloak and tried to gain some sleep. Kim, sighing, walked away, a million thoughts racing through her mind.

____________________________________________________________________________

Rythian had problems with dreams. He remembered each and every one of them with pinpoint accuracy, like he was imagining a plot from his favorite book. This lead to many late nights and cups of coffee until Zoey forced him into the subconscious. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t separate the connection to his home. To the End. This was one such night when his homeworld sent him nightmares.

He was holding a pack, filled with treasures from adventures. Dragon scales, a new sword for Fiona, maybe even a silver earring for Teep. He had lost track of how long he had been gone. Maybe a week, maybe two? You could never tell in the End. Time passed so differently, and Enderborn can live for hundreds of years. But he had always come back at a good time before, why would this be any different? His feet led him out onto the main mountain path, but instead of going to the FiZone Cottage to the West, he was going South. On and on he went, past a decrepit looking town, with scavengers picking through rubble. Past a burning factory. Past things he didn’t recognize but had always known where there. On and on until he reached a small house by the ocean. It was surrounded in shrubs, flowers, and grasses and looked like it was once painted a rainbow of colors that had long faded away. Slowly he walked up the stone path, weeds breaking up between the smoothed rocks. Something in the back of Rythian’s mind twitched, as if it was all so very wrong. His hand touched the rusted handle and he was suddenly warped back to reality.

Rythian’s chest rose and fell drastically, his lungs aching for breath that wasn’t there. His forehead was beaded with dew and sweat as the sun began to rise on the misty encampment.  _ Morning. Thank god. _


	15. The Return Home

“Zoey? Where are we?”

“SipsCo...but, I have no idea where the others are.”

After successfully scraping the strange slime off of her partner for the second time, they had been alerted to the sudden disappearance of their party. All of the soldiers were slumped over in awkward positions, and when Zoey had experimentally poked their faces, they remained unwakened.

“We...we have to get out of here,” Fiona murmured as she struggled to stand. After failing and wobbling dangerously before landing on her butt.

“Shhhh. Shh it’s ok. You keep sitting, I’ll find some food.”

“I feel like shit.”

“You have been vegetating in lime jello for a week.”

“I must look like shit too.”

“No, you’re very pretty.” Zoey leaned down and gently kissed Fiona, not minding the disgusting goop on her face. “Stay here. I won’t be far, so just yell if you need me.” She slowly moved away from their little hidey hole, and Zoey felt quite brave. She imagined she was a great warrior, hiding in the middle of a great battlefield. Quietly, stealthily, she wandered the halls. An open kiosk directed her down three flights of stairs to two steel doors, and a gourmet kitchen that looked horribly unused. A few cans of pears, some stale bread, and a carton of ice cream fit nicely in the carrying case she had created from a few pieces of stray armor and clothes from guards. Fiona was asleep when she returned with her treasures, leaned against the warm computer, changed into fresh clothes.

“ _ Lullaby, daytime is weary, tired of work, tired of play. Sleep, my baby, sleep, my dearie, now you are as tired as they _ .” Her voice drifted through the air as she opened the preserved fruit with a knife. Carefully, she began picking them out and chewing. “ _ Lullaby, whisper and sigh. Lullaby, lullaby. _ ”

____________________________________________________________________________

“ZOEY! FIONA?!”

“XEPHOS! XEPHOS?”

“TOBY...TOBY.” Martyn’s hands were cupped around his lips, shouting out to nothing. “This is hopeless. Even if they did get out from wherever they are, they would’ve gotten lost in the forest.”

“Martyn, they’re alive. And we’re going to find them.” Kim reigned Echo in, inspecting the horizon of the SipsCo area. 

“Xephos wouldn’t ‘ad letem bastards lay an ‘and on ‘is ‘ead.”

“Yeah, come on. They might still be inside,” Duncan called over to them, Misty fading in and out of the landscape. Kim led Martyn, Teep, and Honeydew towards the entrance. When calling for volunteers, everyone was either too weak or too scared. That left them with a keen-eyed mute, a technomancer with a sprained arm, a dwarf, and only two able technomancers who had just been broken out of prison. Great.

“Watch your head Teep. You too Duncan.” Kim raised her laser, its glow batteries vibrating slightly in their casings. “If you see any blasters, tell me. I don’t want this thing exploding in my hands.” The compound was a lonely looking site. Clones were scattered around the yard like limp dolls, playthings a spoiled child carelessly left astray. Honeydew had a strange light glow in his eyes as he bent down to inspect one.

“‘Is ones still alive, Kim. Still breathin’.” She joined him and checked the soldiers pale face.

“You’re right about one thing. I don’t know about the rest of them.” She scanned the gray mud at the piles of bodies. 

“Got chips in ‘er neck. Lookie.” He pointed at it and started scratching it off.

“I don’t think you should do that, Honeydew.”

“Almost...almost got eet.” He tugged at the chip one last time, the wires breaking free from the soldier’s neck and sending the ginger dwarf sprawling on the floor. The clone sat up, awake and gasping.

“Whahaha?” He stared at the group, scared like a lost child. “Taga...Tagagaga.”

“What is he saying,” Martyn asked, good hand placed firmly on the butt of his gun.

“Baby talk...I don’t think he know ‘ow to speak. He buddy, you ok?” Honeydew held out his hand.

“Kawwawa.” The clone scuttered away from his offering fearfully. Then, suddenly, he shuddered and fell over like a log. Honeydew waded through the rocks in mud until he found his friend.

“I don’t…’E ain’t…” Kim ran over and checked the pulse of the clone.

“It’s like his entire body just shut down…”

“Is ‘e dead?”

“I don’t think so…”

“KIM!” They turned to see Zoey, sticky fingered and clothes stained with green slime slowly walking towards them. “KIM. I’VE FOUND THEM.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“How do you feel, Xephos?”

“Like I’ve been hit by a train.”

“Good!” The blue-eyed man opened his eyes to see a man with shaggy brown hair in a lab coat standing above him, checking things off of a clipboard. “I do believe you’ll make a full recovery.”

“Great, I was really worried about my personal health, Doc.”

“Please, call me Tobes. You can tell it’s me because of my green shirt.” He smiled at him before walking to the next bed. Having a better look at his surroundings, Lewis X. Brindley, more widely known as Xephos, was surprised to see how similar many of the doctors look. One that looked incredibly like Sjin walked forward, wearing an orange shirt and a strange white worksuit. It was tied around his waist currently, though.

“Good morning Xephos. I see that Tobes has already checked you. Would you like to begin recieving visitors?”

While the Sjin doppleganger kept Lewis’ attention, Fiona was reading quietly in her starchy white hospital bed with Zoey.

“And then the pretty princess and knight…”

“Who was just as beautiful as the imaginative princess…”

“Yes, lived happily ever after.”

“Great story! I’m gonna have to tell the kids that one.”

“Cool! Have those Hat Boys been behaving?”

“As much as they can.”

“Yes, well tell Rythian that I enjoyed his illustrations.”

“Good. Sleep well, love. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Fiona murmured quietly into Zoey's ear. They kissed and Zoey went down the stairs of the impromptu hospital, past the front desk, and out into the cold, wintery street. December had settled on Ashbourne quickly, dusting the town with snow and freezing the stream that flowed under the bridge into town. It was getting harder to go to Blackrock in this weather, so she often found herself staying with Kim. Today was no different, and as the snow began to fall and tickle her nose, she looked up at the looming mass on the mountain. Somedays she felt regret for not moving completely into the castle. It looked so peaceful, and quiet.

What actually was happening at the same moment was not.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH.”

“Gah! Chasing a blind guy, nice!”

“WHY WERE YOU IN THE SITTING ROOM ANYWAY.”

“OH, sorry for not wanting my fingers to FREEZE!”

“STOP DODGING.”

“I didn’t know your stupid waterbowl was magic.”

“It’s a SERMOPHILIAM. A very rare and powerful magical artifact...Stop that.”

“Blah blah blah. Magical nonsense. All of it. Why not just build a computer and set up video chat?”

“Ok Mr. High-and-mighty, if you think it is so much easier, why don’t YOU build a computer?”

“I can’t.”

“Hmmph why not?”

“BECAUSE I’M BLIND.”

“Ahh. So peaceful.” Zoey smiled and opened the door to Xephos’ shop, where Honeydew had taken over operations.

“‘Ello Zo! ‘ow is the old grump today?”

“From what I noticed, he’s awake.”

“ That’s good! Means ‘e will be on ‘is feet quicker. Can take over the shop.”

“Kim needs a packet of glow batteries and some steel for a new gun.”

“Weeeel. I don’t got any steel. I’ll be getting it in a few days, though.” He slid the package over the smooth counter to Zoey, who quickly put them in her sweater pocket. “I’ll be sure to hold some ingots for you.”

“Thank you, Honeydew.” She returned to the chilled outdoors and shivered. Two days. Two days until Christmas. And she had shopping to do.

Tom’s shop wasn’t as warm as Honeydew Inc. (which he had loving renamed when he learned Xephos might not return for multiple weeks), nor was it as welcoming. It was always filled with the constant and infinite sound of ticking. Ticking. Ticking.

“Miss Zoey…” The slow drawl broke the hypnotic moving of hands around her.

“Hello, Tom! Zoey is just fine.”

“What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for a gift.”

“Christmas shopping this late?” His eyebrows raised in surprise, creating a perfect circle with his dark bags under his eyes.

“We’ve been really busy at the new hospital.”

“Ah yes...the new hospital. Isn’t that where all the…”

“Clones are? Yes. Kim thought that they deserved a chance, and Martyn did pretty good at teaching them medical skills...They want to start with magical healing soon.” Tom nodded and seated himself on the edge of his stool. Slowly, he arched his back, making it click like a gear and finally went straight. “So uhm...I need something for a friend.”

“Is it Strife?” She froze and looked at the scraggly man, spectacles riding low on his nose as he scratched some numbers into a large leather book on the counter. “Yes, yes. I know about the blind man. Saw him stumbling through town one day, but it wasn’t until a young man came in and asked for some of my more,” he paused and heaved the book close, “Specialized talents. This way.” He waved her towards the door behind him. For a second, she considered running, but curiosity got the best of her and she followed Tom to the flight of stairs that parted up into his apartment and down into a basement of sorts. One of his hands picked up a davy lamp from the ground, and it burned to live revealing the creaky wooden stairs. “Come, it may look scary but I can promise nothing down here can hurt you.” So she began to descend, and followed the glow of the old light until her feet hit cold stone. Tom began lighting the room. 

Lumen orbs crowded the corners and rafters, as if they were sentient and hiding from Angor the warden. The cell they were kept in smelled of herbs and metal, but not the bad metallic smell, like from blood. It smelled like oil and sweat and hard work. Crowded around the basement were mason jars, filled with blue lights floating gently in them

“What is this place?”

“It is where I do most of my work. Not many people buy clocks. Why do you think I’ve stayed in business so long?” He moved over to a workbench in front of the first case and collected a mason jar. “Do you know what this is?”

“It’s a mason jar.”

“Yes, but I can do something special with these jars. Oratio, ad momenetum.” The jar suddenly began glowing a strange teal color before it went out like an open flame.

“What was that?” Zoey took a step, but Tom held out his hand to keep her back.

“A memory jar...a little piece of magic and science I keep for myself down here.” He wiped it with his apron before returning it to its home. “A miraculous little artifact. I can collect memories and thoughts in them. But of course, it requires a lot of upkeep.” After a few seconds of searching, he pulled down a glowing container and placed it on the table in front of her. She was then urged to come forward. “This was from a young man...said he had a thing he wanted to forget…” Carefully, Tom shook up the jar and held it out to her. When Zoey looked inside, she saw a familiar sight. All of them in a cage, and dejected looking technomancers being yelled at by...by her...no, by the person this memory belonged to...by Parvis. “Strife is alive. Do you know what this could do to the stability of Verrum?”

“We...we didn’t think he should die…”

“No, you didn’t, Zoey...you thought he should die. You all thought he should have died…”

“How do you know?! How do you anything about me,” she blurted, tears edging the corners of her eyes as she slammed the memory back onto the table.

“You hear things in the memories of others. See things they didn’t…Why did Rythian take him to the Outlands?”

“Because...because he was afraid...he had done so much...killed so many...some I didn’t even know about. I don’t think he could take another life.”

“Ah...Nilesy was quite angry, though. His home destroyed, I could see why.”

“So you...just wipe memories?”

“Science and magic is a dangerous mix, Zoey...sometimes it’s for the best that they fight,” he whispered, before throwing her a leather bag. “I’m sure he will enjoy this. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Tom,” She murmured back.


	16. Epilogue

“Zoey?”

“Mmm...Yes Fiona?”

“It’s Christmas, darling.” Zoey wrenched her eyes open enough to see her lover, frizzy hair hanging like a swarm in front of her face.

“I love you.”

“I love you.” Fiona nudged closer and brought her lips to Zoey’s, the connection warm and strong. It made Zoey forget about everything that had happened in the last month. “Are you ready to go downstairs? I think Teep made hot chocolate.”

“Oh...goody…”

“Why do you like it so much? I’m starting to feel the competition.”

“It combines my two favorite things.”

“And what’s that?”

“Warm kisses and chocolate milk.”

“Ah, so that’s why you like my cocoa so much. You just get some sneaky kisses.”

“Sneaky smooches.” They giggled and slowly untangled themselves from the mess of legs and sheets before dressing quickly and running down the empty hall. Fiona stopped and looked upstairs. “Fi? You coming?”

“Yeah...just gotta check something.” She started climbing the stairs to the third floor. It was freezing, but her cold toes didn’t bother her. Slowly, her hand knocked against Strife’s door.

“Hmmph. What is it?”

“Fiona.”

“Oh...just leave the food by the door.”

“I don’t have your breakfast Strife.”

“Then why did you show up?”

“Because, we want you downstairs…It’s Christmas…”

“Yes, I know what day it is…Ok…” The door opened and revealed Strife in his clean pinstriped pajamas. “Let’s go.”

“You’re not wearing your rag.”

“Yeah I...I decided it would just make the stuff fester…” He blushed a horrible rosy pink that made Fiona smile.

“Well, let’s go. I think Santa brought you something.” They left together, down to warmth, friends, and good food. For the rest of that day, Strife didn’t really feel like an outsider anymore. For once, he didn’t feel like himself. The mechanical, evil, power-hungry person he thought he was. Now? Now he was someone completely different. Now he was William Strife.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
